


Two Stones and One Bird

by AmosLee1023



Category: Attack on Titan, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, Drug Abuse, Horror, Laboratories, M/M, Minor Character Death, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Other, Romance, Scars, Secret Organizations, Suspense, Thriller, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-08 01:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7737157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmosLee1023/pseuds/AmosLee1023
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rating may change in later chapters </p><p>Eren Yeager is a seventeen year old with his whole life ahead of him: Loving friends, sports scholarships, a hardworking parent- everything is perfect. Until Eren is kidnapped by two ruthless hitmen and given two days to tell them a code he never knows isn't worth it.</p><p>From this point on, everything comes under question and Eren isn't sure who to really trust anymore.<br/>Was his perfect life really what it always seemed? Will he go back home given the chance or will he side with these evil tormentors who don't even know what to think themselves anymore?</p><p>Blood/Gore/Violence   Character Death/Ships Sailing and Crashing   Levi and Hange Contract Killers</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Day 0

Eren Yeager is the typical seventeen year-old with a healthy relationship with his father. Smart, charming, athletic, he has it all. But when he is kidnapped and tortured by two mysterious people for information he doesn't know, he starts doubting his life was really what it seemed. With excruciating pain and only two days to tell his captors the deadly code he isn't sure he knows, he can either sit back and die or fight.

 

 

**Chapter One**

 

**Day 0**

 

 

  
"A new job?" The noirette twirled himself slightly in the brown leather spinning chair, phone to his ear while he let his cigarette rest in the ashtray, light smoke trailing into the nicely decorated room. He stared at the wall, eyes narrowed while he listened to the new information before letting his free right hand fall to the desk, gloved fingers lifting a pen to write the address on his always ready notepad.

"...Mm hm. Two days? Tops. Right..."

He let his eyes flash to the door at the new words spoken into the phone, and was quick to mask his oncoming scowl. "A kid? Yeah, it's fine. Okay, got it. ...You, too." He flipped the phone shut, keeping it closed beside his ear while he thought.

He gave a small exhale through his nose before snatching up his cigarette and standing. He let his grey eyes fall to the fireplace in the center of the room before tossing the phone into it. Taking in the sound of crackling and wheezing, he placed a cigarette into his mouth while exiting the room. Booted feet echoed in the halls while he made his way to a certain room, stopping beyond the door and knocking.

"Come in~" He grimaced slightly at the singsong voice but entered the room anyway. His eyes fell to the brunette that sat beside the perfect and round glass fish tank. "Levi." The voice was stern and the noirette narrowed his eyes more, taking a puff of his Camel. "What?" The brunette looked up to the man, lips pursed before looking back to the tank. "My fish is rotting."

"That damn beta?" The brunette nodded and the man with cold grey eyes made his way over, kneeling beside the brunette and the tank. He let his eyes fall to the pink and red fish before looking to the grey scaling on the right side, the color spreading to the left. "It busted." He stated, the brunette nodding while looking to the red color beneath the grey hole. "It's eating him." The brunette stated, Levi standing. "It can't be helped. Vets don't help fish like that. Maybe it's just a process." He stated, looking back to the fish; the small amphibian swimming slowly to the bottom of the tank, to the glass rocks and left over food. "What did you need me for?" The brunette looked up to the man, the noirette taking a puff of the cigarette.

"Hanji." He looked to the brunette, the person nodding. "We have a new job." Levi stated, Hanji standing with a grin. "Can we take the bikes? I just f-" "I'm not riding with someone on my back, and you remember what happened the last time you did." The noirette looked to Hanji, the brunette huffing before going to their wardrobe. "Okay~" They sang again, Levi watching their pale hands open the doors to grab a dress shirt and tie. The man made his way to the brunette's bed, taking a seat on the nicely made and comfortable mattress. He let his grey eyes drift to the brunette, watching them pull off their silk pajama top while humming before averting his gaze quickly at the sight of the wrapping around their top.

"So, what job is this?" The brunette looked to the man while buttoning their shirt, the noirette looking back to the fish.

"A teen. Two days to interrogate him. We need the information on the third."

"What kind of information?" Hanji asked, walking to stand in front of the noirette, handing him the tie while kneeling. "A code. Don't know why, and don't know what for. The client was specific on keeping the details secret." Levi stated, putting the cigarette in his fingers while making the tie. "Oooh, another one of those guys?" Hanji looked to the tie, seeing it was made and going to put the fish tank back on its rightful bedpost.  "It's about a two hour drive to the kid's house. Seventeen, lives with his dad."

"No mom?"

"Nope. It's almost two- kid gets home from school at three. We should probably go now." The noirette stood from the bed, Hanji dropping some bits of food into the fishbowl before going to put on their boots under the dress pant's legs. Levi left the room, heading down the hall and down the stairs to the front door. He grabbed his suit jacket, slipping it on without trouble and looked back to the stairs.  
Hanji emerged soon enough, hair up in a messy bun and looking to Levi's empty hands. "Where's your cigarette?"

"Dumped it in the plant by your room. Where's the dog?" Levi looked beyond the stairs and to the back window, eyes falling on the empty doghouse. Hanji hopped down the rest of the stairs, leaning over the railing to follow his gaze. "Hm. I don't know. He'll be back." The brunette waved the window away, Levi accepting the answer and opening the front door to exit the manor.

"What's the kid's name?" Hanji looked to the man, the noirette getting into the black van in the driveway. The brunette followed into the passenger's seat, looking to the noirette for an answer.

"Eren."

"...Last name?"

"Yeeger."  
"...Yeager?" Levi looked to the brunette, them looking forward and shrugging. "I know the family. Yeager. Grisha Yeager's the dad, right? He was my collage professor back in the day." They explained, Levi huffing and starting the van before pulling out of the driveway. "So, what of Grisha? Will he be home, too, or..." Hanji looked to the noirette, Levi shaking his head. "He's a doctor, as you probably know. Client says he'll be gone on a business trip. Won't even know the kid's missing." He replied, Hanji nodding in acceptance while looking out the window at the many trees that surrounded the dirt road.

"I like it out here, don't you? It sure beats that old apartment we used to stay in, right?" They looked to Levi who shrugged. "Climb in the back and make sure the stuff's back there." He looked to the brunette who saluted before climbing back. "Guns, chloroform, rope, saw, yep." "Why is the saw back there?" Levi looked in the review mirror to the brunette, them shrugging. "I thought we would need it last time. You know, with that-" "Okay, okay. Get back up here." The brunette obeyed, sitting back in their seat. "What happens if we don't get the code in two days?" "He said to kill him." A loud and vibrating crash of thunder sounded and Levi looked to the windshield at a single wet drop before looking to Hanji. "Is it going to rain?"

The brunette leaned forward and turned on the radio. They listened to the loud beeping of the station before the broadcast finally sounded. "Um, yeah. A heavy rainstorm in our county." They looked to the noirette, their brown eyes looking to the pale man's clenched jaw.

"Is that bad?" "No, it just means the kid might be home early. Put on your seat belt, we're speeding." The brunette blinked before realizing and hurrying to grab the seat belt, smiling softly in success when it clicked before reaching over Levi's lap, the noirette looking to them in annoyance. "What are you doing?"

"Seat-belt!" Hanji clicked the strap into place and Levi looked back to the road in silence before slamming his foot to the gas, struggling only slightly to keep on the straight road when the rain started coming down faster. Hanji closed their eyes, laying their head against the window and listening to the rain against the van. Levi let his eyes drift to the brunette for only a moment before turning back to the road when they drifted into a nap.

"Hanji, wake up." Levi extended an arm to smack their shoulder, the brunette opening their eyes and looking to him. "Are we there?" The noirette nodded and the brunette clicked their seat belt loose. They looked out the window to the pouring rain, the drops coming down quick and hard. Levi exited the van, heading to the back and opening the doors to grab a gun and the bottle of chloroform. "Hurry up and pick-lock the house, Hanji. Back door." The noirette looked to the brunette who had just exited the van.

They nodded before obeying, hurrying to get away from the cold and painful rain. Levi got back into the van, driving it into a close-by alley before heading to the small house. His eyes scanned the white house. Small, but nice, with green grass and a football on the porch. He made his way to the backdoor, opening it before entering and locking the frame again. He turned, taking in a hitched breath when he bumped into something before narrowing his eyes more and scowling slightly at Hanji. "Why are you just standing there? Is he home?" The brunette raised a fine brow before shaking their head a bit and holding out a fluffy white towel. "Here. We're soaking, but I found these. They'll help a little bit." They stated, Levi rolling his eyes but taking it and using it on his clothes anyway.

"It's raining bad outside. I almost forgot it was just three p.m. with how the sky's all grey." Hanji looked out the backdoor window, Levi nodding.

"Yeah. Let's get into position." He tossed the chloroform to Hanji, the brunette catching it, while he himself cocked his gun. He dropped the towel by the door, leaving the small room to the main one and taking a seat in a chair. "Hanji, go make yourself some hot cocoa." He looked to them, the brunette grinning before heading to the small kitchen. "How'd you know they'd have some?" They called, the noirette smirking slightly at being right. "Every house with a kid does." He called back, Hanji going to lean on the kitchen doorway. "Yeah, I guess you'd know." They laughed, before putting a hand over their mouth.

"...I-"

"It's fine." Levi held up his hand in reassurance and Hanji let out a small exhale before taking a drink of their cocoa.  
Levi sat back in the chair, crossing his soaked legs and putting his arm on the chair's and setting the gun against his head in wait while using his other hand to light a cigarette to hold in his fingers. "What kind of cup did you get?" He called back to Hanji, the brunette looking to their cup. "Red. With a cat on it."

The noirette scoffed but accepted the answer while looking to the front door. Just a few moments later and the door clicked, Levi's eyes falling to the rattling knob and watching as it turned. He watched a male with brown hair enter the room, the teen muttering something while shivering before re-locking the door. Hanji looked to Levi upon the teen's not noticing the two but the noirette kept his eyes on the boy. "Eren Yeager." He called, the teen freezing before turning to look at the man.

"..."

His teal eyes fell to the gun and he immediately turned to unlock the door again. "Stop." Levi stood and the teen obeyed, clenching his eyes shut. "Okay, whatever you want, just... take it." He looked back to the noirette, the man raising a brow before pointing the gun to a seat.

"Sit."

The brunette furrowed his brows in question and the noirette raised a brow at the disobedience. "I would sit down if I were you." Hanji stated from where they stood before motioning to the gun. "See that big barrel thing on the end of it? That's a silencer. So if you don't listen to him and he shoots you, no one would know. You'd probably listen before you make him upset." They added, the teen looking to them before looking back to the gun. Levi blinked, complete form showing no hint of amusement while watching the teen, bringing the gun back up to aim at him. "Sit." The teen nodded nervously before obeying.

Levi let the gun fall to his side. "You're Eren Yeager, correct?" The teen nodded again and Levi took a puff from his cigarette. "I see you like football." He stated, Hanji taking a drink from their cup. Eren nodded and Levi sat on the arm of his chair. "I personally don't know anything about it-" "Please, leave... My dad'll be home any minute." Eren whispered, Hanji looking to Levi. "I know you're lying. You walked here. He won't be home today, we know." The noirette stated and Eren placed his face in his hands.

"I'm borrowing your cup!" Hanji stated, the teen looking over slightly before letting out a shaky sigh. "What do you guys want? Please, just leave me alone... I won't tell anybody! No one will know you were here, just tell me what you want!" He looked to Levi, the man taking another puff of his cigarette before stomping it and putting it in his pocket. He looked back to the teen and shrugged. "The code." He watched the teen's demeanor change from scared to guttural fear.

The teen quickly stood, jumping over the couch to run for the back door. Levi immediately ran after, arms flying out to grab the teen around the waist while Hanji rushed over with a rag and the chloroform. The teen thrashed, his leg flying up and kicking the bottle from Hanji- making it fall and burst on the wooden floor. "Hanji!" Levi barked, the brunette whispering apologies before going to unlock the back door. "I'll drive, you hold him in the back!" Hanji looked to Levi, the man scowling but placing a gloved hand over the teen's mouth.

Hanji ran to the van, starting it up while Levi threw the teen and himself into the back, slamming the doors shut and aiming his gun at Eren. The teen huffed, looking to the gun before looking to Levi. "You're lucky as hell that I can't kill you right now." He growled quietly, the teen brunette swallowing hard while panting. "I'm sorry, just let me go..." He cried softly, brown eyes looking to the other weapons and rope in the van, the sight sending painful fear through him. "You tell us the code and you won't get hurt as bad." Levi kept the gun on the boy, the brunette closing his eyes with his jaw clenched tight.

"Hanji, where are we?" The noirette looked to the front, Hanji looking in the review mirror to him. "Almost out of town. Just don't let him do anything stupid before we leave." Levi looked to the teen at this, the brunette putting his face in his hands again. "Don't do anything stupid kid and my finger won't slip." The teen looked up slightly to glare at the noirette, gritting his teeth before looking away.

He wouldn't die today.

 


	2. Chapter Two:

 

**Chapter two**

 

**Day 0**

 

  
Levi kept his gaze on the shivering teen beyond him, eyes narrowed and brows knit together; expression telling just how serious this situation was. What had Eren gotten himself into? All this from cleaning up his dad's work space? The brunette cowered deeper into himself in self-loathing.

A light tapping quickly started, pulling the teen's attention to the noirette in front of him. Levi stopped tapping his gun against the floor of the van and rolled his shoulders while looking to the teen. "You know kid, you've got balls." He spoke, Eren swallowing hard at the attacker's voice. Nothing in that tone led him to think this man was any more friendly than Jean was at lunch period. The teen remained silent, eyes falling from the noirette and landing on the saw that taunted him from its spot on the floorboard.

"And I know how to fix that." Levi whispered harshly, Eren's eyes looking back to the man at the sharp whisper.

Levi took in the sight of a pale face from tears mixed with the outside's cold weather and rain, brown eyes having a light pink color line the lids from irritation. The teen's hair was in heavy disarray from the tussle in the house.

"...And I know how to get away." Eren's tone of voice was quiet but still audible and Hanji looked to the two through the review mirror. The van bounced from a well known dip in the road, forcing the saw closer to the teen brunette who stared at the cold and relentless Levi. Hanji's face quickly distorted and their unusual scream of Levi's name tore through the van, the brunette tearing the steering wheel to the left and causing the van to twist into the air before slamming and rolling down the hill of the highway.

The black van finally stopped after one last tip, landing on the left side with a right front tire spinning slowly. Blood and glass lay scattered on the windows and seats and Hanji groaned deeply when thick blood and saliva dripped from their slightly parted lips. Their heavy eyelids opened to small slits and their brown orbs scanned their surroundings of mayhem. They caught sight of their left arm, the limb dangling with blood dripping from pale fingertips. They weren't sure where the blood was coming from, but they also didn't entirely want to know. The pain and numbness of their fingers and head made them groan inwardly before their eyes sprung open wide and they looked into the cracked review mirror. The back of the van was empty, along with the heavy black doors wide open- one dented into staying that way.

A ball swelled in their throat and they were quick to realize the large amounts of blood that looked like someone splashed a big bucket of paint into the van. "...Levi..." They furrowed their brows in disgust at the quiet noise they made. They spat blood and spit from deep in their throat before trying again. "Levi!" Their call was quiet and rough but they were a bit more satisfied. A loud thump sounded atop the vehicle and Hanji looked with their eyes to their door's window. The heavy door was pulled open slowly and Hanji watched black hair lower in through the doorway. "Levi." They moaned in pain when a hand touched their shoulder. "Can you get out?" Levi's voice sounded, Hanji looking to the man who sat on the van while reaching inside and touching the brunette.

Hanji moved their right hand to grip the seat belt in an attempt to release the clasp and when it was to no avail, shook their head. "I'm...fucking stuck." They grumbled quietly, looking back to Levi with hazy eyes, the throbbing in their head quickly spreading into all of their veins. "Fuck. Okay, hold on." Levi reached for his pant's waist band, pulling out his trusty blade he never left behind. Hanji cried out sharply and bit back a string of blood and saliva when Levi gripped the brunette sharply around the waist. The brunette figured it probably wasn't just their head and arm that were hurt and it wasn't good. Levi held Hanji tightly with his left hand, laying on the van's side and using his right hand to cut into the seat belt. The polyester was quick to snap back when released from its other half, Levi grunting when it slapped back and whipped his hand- Hanji letting out a long and pained breath at the new relief from the pressure. "Okay, okay..." Hanji breathed heavily, breaths becoming quicker and more sharp before they grit their teeth tight.

"Pull me out." Levi was quick to do this, pulling the brunette up with his left arm, jugular vein bulging with the strain of pulling up a taller adult body. Hanji gave little cries and grunts with pants, giving a long and exasperated sigh when they were finally out of the van, legs dangling into the doorway with their head resting on Levi's stomach, the two laying on the van's side a breathing heavily together.

Hanji swallowed a thick clump of blood and mucus into a sore throat and looked to Levi, the man's grey orbs looking to the raining sky.   
"Where's... the k-kid?" Hanji shivered, Levi huffing and looking to the brunette. "He knocked himself out. Stupid hormonal teen sliced up his leg with the saw and took off. I guess he can't see well in the dark, because I found him passed out by a fucking tree." He grumbled, Hanji giving a single and pained huff of laughter.

Their smile soon faded and they sighed. "Are you hurt?" They looked to Levi, the man narrowing his eyes before giving a single and hesitant nod. "The saw got my arm when we crashed. Almost got my head." He muttered, Hanji pursing their lips in guilt. "I don't nece...ssarily know if I can walk," Hanji murmured, "and that kid can't either now that he's... out." They took in a shaky hiss of air when a large shiver traveled up their body. "It's fine. The hideout's not far from here, so I'll take the kid first and come back for you." Hanji nodded through chattering teeth and closed eyes, Levi moving the brunette off of him before hopping off of the van and reaching up to grab them. He pulled the brunette from the vehicle and rested their limp form in his arms, wincing only slightly from the connection of wet cloth against a bleeding and pulsing gash on a pale forearm. Once he rested Hanji in the back of the van to shield them from the rain he closed the only moving door slightly before taking his leave to the other brunette to whom lay panting a coughing on the soaking grass beside the underpart of the van.

Eren looked to Levi with wild and puffy eyes, arms wrapped around his bent right leg that bled profusely from jagged and torn pants. "L-let m-m-me-e go..." He shivered through teeth that chattered from both the cold and holding back sobs. The pain in his leg was unbearable, not to mention the assault he suffered back at the trees. Kicks and punches landing to both his face a gut- a wave of anguish rushed through him just at the thought.

"Shut the hell up and stand." Levi's narrowed eyes burnt holes clear through the teen, and Eren turned away, hiding his face in the grass and mud and letting out a quiet sob.   
He couldn't stand. What if this would ruin his plans of college football?

Levi scowled and reached down, grabbing the teen's arms to pull him to his feet. Hanji was far too asleep to hear anything- not the sounds of punches landing nor the sound of sobs and screams or even the sound of bones cracking. A rough hand gripped Hanji's shoulder, the brunette not moving or speaking. "Hanji, wake up." A familiar voice sounded and Hanji's eyes opened slightly, looking to a blurry noirette that stood beyond them. "...Levi?" "Who else, fuck-face?" Levi grumbled, reaching out and lifting the taller brunette. "The rain hasn't stopped, so bare with me." He muttered, moving the brunette from the van's shelter and back into the pouring rain.

"I already contacted Erwin and he's going to take care of the van for us, then he'll help us with this fucking mess." Hanji barely nodded, eyelids getting too heavy to keep open.  They didn't know how much time had passed since Levi had first left and they sure as hell didn't know how much time had passed when they heard a door opening and closing, the sound being followed by yellow lighting shining through their eye lids. They opened their eyes slowly, looking around the hazy and fogged lit room around them of their manor. Heavy boots sounded on steps, and it wasn't long before Hanji felt the soft cushioning of a bed. Levi huffed once being relieved of Hanji's thin weight and turned from the brunette's pale and sickly figure, making his way to their closet and pulling out dry clothes that mainly consisted of a pajama top and matching pants, not caring for underwear at the moment. He made his way back to the brunette, tossing the clothes on the edge of the bed and moving to tear off their jacket and button up shirt. It wasn't like they didn't have dozens more of the outfit, so it wasn't like they would care if one was gone.

He averted his gaze once his eyes fell on the chest bandaging but he was quick to regain himself, quickly unwrapping the soaked white and tossing it aside to the floor. His eyes brushed over scarring, and he clenched his jaw while avoiding the area, looking off to the new wounds instead. On their left forearm near their wrist, a large gash ran from their pinkie to their thumb and Levi grimaced, continuing with his inspection.

Their right shoulder rested a heavy red scuff with purple and yellow forming and the back of their head on the right held an unwanted shard of glass-most likely from one of the broken windows of the van. He huffed and wiped his wet hair from his face with his gloved hand before leaving to get an Aid-kit, using his years of experience to fix the brunette up neatly and cleanly, giving a nod of satisfaction towards his finished work.

He then moved to their bottom, pulling their pants and underwear off with ease. Once again he averted his gaze at heavy scarring and quickly pulled on the new pants, patting the brunette's thigh once done. Hanji murmured quietly in sleep and Levi looked to them before letting his eyes drift to the fish that swam slowly around the tank. He huffed a tiny laughed scoff to himself before leaving the room and making his way down the stairs, turning left and entering the door to the basement. Muffled screams and yells immediately filled his hearing and he looked to the cause once down the stairs.

The teen brunette sat duct-taped to a wooden chair, his bloody leg being the only limb unbound. His eyes raged with emotional fire, the teal and watery orbs fixed on Levi. The noirette rolled his eyes slightly and made his way over to the boy, looking to his taped mouth. "Hm. I guess you don't need to eat then, do you? You really are a loud one, too, huh?" Eren thrashed in his chair and Levi scoffed to himself before kneeling in front of the teen. "You know, kid, you sure are a pretty dumb one. Pretty smart, but pretty fucking dumb. A smart dumb one." He reached out, taking hold of the brunette's chin with a strong grip.

"And I don't like smart dumb ones."

The two stared intently at one another, teal and grey eyes both narrowed with Eren panting heavily through his nose. "I'm going to take your tape off and you are going to shut the hell up and only talk when I say so. Got it?" Levi's whisper was harsh and Eren kept his gaze, not moving a centimeter. The grip on his chin tightened increasingly and Eren winced slightly while holding his gaze. "Got it?" Levi asked again and Eren nodded once when the grip increased. The tape was torn away and Eren grunted, holding back a pained cry before panting once he was released, getting much needed air from his bloody nose not allowing him any. "If you wake up my teammate, I'll kill you on the spot. So don't raise your voice at all. Now, we have three days to get this out of you, so you might as well make it easy and spill it. What's the code?"

Eren huffed, averting his gaze. "...I don't know." Levi stared at the teen for a brief moment before looking to his damp clothes, the cloth drying from the hours of being out of the rain. "...Are you cold?" Levi looked back to the teen's face, Eren opening his mouth to speak but shutting it in question when Levi turned and made his way to a single door, disappearing behind it. Eren took this time to tug at his hands, looking over his shoulder to the thick rope that held him bound. "...Fuck." He whined quietly to himself, immediately regretting never saying 'hi' or 'bye', or even 'I love you' to his dad before. He regretted all the times he dissed Armin when the blonde came out as gay. He regretted ditching Mikasa at the movie theaters for a quick fuck with that short blonde girl in his class that wasn't even that good. He regretted everything.

Always fighting with Jean, tipping off the teacher that Sasha and Connie would get high in the bathrooms, for letting himself come first. Why was he regretting everything now?   
Because he was going to die, and he was sure of it. He was sure his mother was going to die of cancer, and she did. He didn't wish for her to die, it was just that he had lost all hope in the medicine. He was sure that Marco would die in that car crash last year. He didn't want him to die, but he just knew it was going to happen.   
Sure enough, Marco Boldt died a senior before his eighteenth birthday on the night of a high-school party.

He grit his teeth at the memories of an open-casket funeral that shouldn't have been allowed open-casket.

He pulled on his hands until he could feel the irritated skin tearing at the memories of a sobbing Jean that he just had to pick on. He clenched his fists until his nails cut the skin at the memories of he and Marco drinking, partying... kissing-

Immense cold splashed over him and he gasped for air at the sudden cold. His eyes flashed up, finding Levi holding an empty bucket. "Sorry, did I wake you of your daydream? Was she pretty?" His voice was flat, and Eren scowled through chattering teeth and grey lips.

"F-f-f-f-fu-uck y-y-y-o-you-" He gasped more, rasping air into a cold and dry throat.

"What's the code."

"F-ff-fuck!" Eren turned his head away, Levi furrowing his brows.

"You really are willing to die for this code, aren't you? Well, I guess I'll just force it out of you. I've done it many times before so I can do it to a stubborn hormonal kid too." He muttered, Eren glancing to him and watching the noirette walk away and make his way to a beat up bat. Eren's eyes widened slightly while he shook with massive convulsions from shivering.

Levi made his way to the teen, looking him up and down before letting his grey orbs settle on the brunette's bleeding leg. He raised the bat above his head, slamming it back down with all of his strength, the basement echoing with Eren's loud screams.


	3. Chapter Three: Day One

 

**Chapter Three**

  
**Day 1**

 

 

  
"I haven't heard the kid today." Hanji spoke while pinning their hair up at the kitchen counter. "He's probably still passed out. Have you seen the dog yet?" Levi looked to the brunette while pouring coffee into a mug, the brunette's eyes widening before relaxing back when they suddenly shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe he's out eating a deer. Hey, that's what we should have!" Levi raised a brow at Hanji's exclamation, the brunette sitting with a wild grin that looked stupid with the bandaging around their head.

"...We're not investing in a deer."

"No, silly! To eat! Back when I was in college," Hanji stood, making their way to Levi and grabbing a mug, brushing their arm against Levi's chest in the process-to which the noirette swallowed hard.

"I had a professor who would always bring homemade deer jerky before Christmas break." They smiled, holding their stance of being breath to neck close to Levi before parting with their mug, pouring coffee into the glass when the noirette moved away a bit.

"It takes too much. Why don't you just go and buy some jerky at a convenience store-or go catch a rattlesnake to bring home." The man grumbled, Hanji's eyes widening again in excitement. "Yeah! Rattlesnake's also a good one, huh? Mmm, that brings back memories. Remember the time when we-" Levi put a finger to the brunette's lips, shushing them when a clutter sounded from below. Brown eyes met grey and the two parted, Levi heading for the basement door while Hanji made way for a breakfast tray.

Once Levi departed down the steps, Hanji placed a decent meal onto the shiny metal. Two cups-one orange juice and the other coffee, a plate of French Toast and two strips of bacon with a small bowl of oatmeal topped with banana slices. The brunette smiled to them-self while looking at the plate, eyes drifting to bony fingers with bloody nails that weren't there. "Hanji!" Levi's voice sounded, muffled from the floorboards to which the brunette lifted the tray from the counter and made their way to the stairs. "Coming~" They hummed, descending down the cement stairs until two figures came into view. Their eyes fell to the hunched figure of a teen brunette, mind immediately taking in the details.

Brown hair clotted to a dipped head in disarray from old sweat and air-dried water. Lightly tanned skin stained with discoloration around the wrists and neck from rope and other thought tortures. An untied leg in a splint with heavy bandaging and a stained dark red patch of clotted blood on the pants that draped over his knee. And finally, brown eyes with pink rims and hatred burning from deep in the soul, yet the right eye was filled with black and small bits of red and thick and swollen eyelids.

"Oh, he's awake." Hanji announced, Levi nodding.

Eren huffed through grit teeth, panting being the only breathing technique he had at the moment from a heavy and clogged chest. The sound of loud scraping ensued, Eren's eyes moving to the sight of the shorter than average noirette of Levi.

Levi stopped in front of Eren, placing a wooden chair beyond the teen. "I have other business to attend to. You're Hanji's guest of the hour, so don't be a disappointment. You're here to sing, so if you can't do that yet, you can be our entertainment." Hanji looked to Levi, the man looking to them and giving a single nod before leaving the room back up the stairs. Hanji took their seat, placing the tray on their lap and looking to Eren. "I'll bet that you're tired, right?" They looked to the teen's eyes, the brown eyes narrowing but not hiding the grey around them that stuck out on unhealthy bags of skin.  
Hanji huffed a smile to them self and held up the tray.

"I'll also bet you're hungry. I mean, we did take you after school after all, and back when I was in school- that meant snack time." Eren eyed the food from where he sat slouched and huffing, neck aching and inwardly creaking with every tiny movement. "I'll untie your hands so you can eat, okay? But if you do anything..." Hanji glanced off to the side, Eren following their gaze to the sight of the bloody bat from the night before. Hanji watched the teen for a small moment longer before placing the tray under their seat.  
"Before you get to eat, though... What's the code?" Their eyes watched Eren's, the teen's eyes lowering with his silence.

They puffed. "You know it, but you don't want to tell, huh? You-" "They'll catch you." Eren muttered through tightly grit teeth, Hanji raising a brow. "Hm? How do you think so?" They crossed their hands under their chin, elbows on knees. "Y-you're prints. You messed up at my house-I saw you, you had no gl-gloves." Eren looked to the brunette's bare hands, the brunette looking to their hands too with a slightly interested look. "...Hm. You're right. I didn't have gloves." "They'll t-track me to her-here and find everything... My blood, your prints, hair f-follicals-"

"Yeah, I somehow doubt that." Hanji's eyes met Eren's confused and tired ones and they smiled softly.

"You see, Levi wears gloves everywhere, no matter what. He never takes them off. He also cleans every inch of this mansion from bottom to top before he goes to bed. And I also didn't wear gloves to your house sure, but..." Hanji let their hands drift to hang in front of Eren's face. "I have no fingerprints. See?"

They turned their hands, wiggling fingers that did indeed have no prints.

Eren's eyes widened and he grit his teeth more at the remembrance of something like this on a TV show when he was younger.

"It started in Russia, the idea of no fingerprints." Hanji sat back in their seat, watching Eren's body shiver and jaw clench and un. "It's a type of acid. I'll bet your dad knows about it too. It burns like hell yeah, but it works like a charm. So Eren Yeager, I don't think they'll catch us anytime soon. Our wrecked car is also in the works of being taken away as we speak. And this mess down here," They motioned to the bat and other bloody and murderous weapons that hung around and about. "We get rid of them with the bodies they dealt with. That," They pointed to the bat. "Will be gone soon if you don't tell us the code."

Eren clenched his eyes shut and uttered a single sob, too worn out to cry much at all. "I c-can't... Please, let me go." He whispered, whispering all sorts of other things Hanji couldn't understand, but distinguished as delusional thoughts. "Who are you trying to protect? A kid like you shouldn't be putting their life on the line for their friends- you should be thinking of sports and getting laid." Hanji smiled at the vulgar speech, to which Eren sobbed again. "Here, okay- Eren-Eren. Calm down and look at me." The teen brunette looked to the older, eyes hopeless and sorrowful.

"Tell me something about yourself, and if I think it's something worth hearing, I'll give you one bit of comfort for each statement. But if it bores me, I'll put you in an uncomfortable position, agreed?" They looked to Eren with a raised brow and the teen reluctantly nodded.

The two sat in silence before Eren's hoarse voice spoke up. "...I don't want to go to college..."  
Hanji stayed silent, Eren's eyes staying on the floor before drifting up to look to Hanji, his right eye squinting with it becoming more swollen.

Hanji suddenly burst up from the chair quick enough to knock it over before quickly advancing to a wall that held a noose made of blue rope. Eren's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak but couldn't as he watched Hanji run back over, throwing the loose end of the rope above Eren and onto a hatch. They yanked Eren's head back, slipping the noose over and around his neck.  
The teen realized just where this was going and burst into hysterics. "Nononononono wait! Wait, wait, wait! PLEASE!" Hanji stopped, looking down to the teen from where they stood.

"Yes?"

"I-I-I'm the reason my mom got cancer!" He cried, Hanji blinking before raising a brow slightly. "Go on."

Eren looked to the floor, eyes closing slightly. "...I was eight. My dad took me to the lab he used to work at, and I left my birthday watch in there from my friend's grandpa. ...Dad was too busy to unlock the door for me, so my mom did. She... She went in there and grabbed it for me, and the door closed on her and I-I couldn't open it and-"  
He cut himself off, staring at the floor, staring at the small water drops that fell and popped on the cement while a ball slowly welled up in his throat, making it difficult to swallow.  
"...The radiation project my dad's team were working on got turned on and... We couldn't open the door until four minutes after it was activated. By then my mom... she was already sick."  
Eren felt the noose move before it slowly was slid off his neck, brushing his nose on its way and being followed by a stray tear. Hanji cleared their throat quietly, moving to sit back in their chair and rest the rope beside them on the floor.

"How long until she-"

"She died a couple of months later. There was nothing they could do for her. They said that it wasn't my fault, that... that the radiation concentration was too much and that the door was timed to lock at that specific time but..."

"But you were the one who asked her to go in." Hanji finished, Eren closing his eyes and nodding slowly.

"...Did you get your watch?" Hanji looked to the teen, the boy sitting up slightly and giving a single and weak nod.  
"It's never worked since." He whispered, Hanji nodding before leaning forward and wrapping their arms around the teen, Eren bringing his arms in front of him when a weight was relieved from them. "You may eat your food, and if you try to attack me, I have a mechanism fifty yards behind you that is set to go off if I tell it to. And trust me, I will. And you don't want it to go off." Hanji stated, Eren swallowing passed the ball in his throat and giving a nod.

Hanji reached under their chair, pulling the tray out and placing it on the boy's lap. "Eat up. I'm the only one who's willing to feed you." They smiled and Eren nodded quickly, ravishing the food with his blood caked hands-seeing no need to eat nice in the eyes of a killer.  
Hanji watched the sight of slobber and tears and food for a good moment or two before sitting back and crossing their legs. "Okay, speak of something else."  
Eren's eating faltered and he looked to the brunette.  
"...Right now?" Hanji was able to understand the words through a stuffed mouth and nodded.

"Yeah. Something else. Now." The fright and pure blankness in the teen's eyes went unnoticed and Hanji brought their brows together in thought. "Tell me about your love life. Teenagers have cute stories, so speak." The brunette smiled slightly and Eren knew they were being honest. What kind of adult was interested in teenagers' lives? Killers? Probably.

"I-I don't have a love life." The teen moved his head to the side slightly as a way of false protection from any hits.  
Hanji laughed. "Really? That's kind of sad. Not that you're cute or anything-no offense. When I was a teenager I was at least 'experimenting'." Eren looked to the brunette, the thoughts of what kind of experimenting making the teen inwardly shiver. What if they were some weird scientist type of guy? That looked suitable. Messy brown hair in a messy ponytail, scary glasses, the odd way their facial expressions twitched with what he couldn't even think of.

Hanji looked to their thin wrist, looking to the brown leather watch they wore. "Well Eren Yeager," they looked to the teen, the brunette looking to them with big eyes.  
"Time's up. Are you done eating? That plate's from Levi's China set." Eren's eyes only grew.  
"W-what? Why?"

Hanji smiled, taking the empty plate and standing. "Because it was pretty. Now, before I go back upstairs and leave you down here in pitch black darkness, are you going to tell me the code?" Hanji looked to Eren, the teen brunette averting his gaze.  
"Eren, look at me. I know that you don't want to go through this stuff, but trust me and just look into my eyes." Hanji held the plate in their left hand, reaching forward to place their right on the teen's shoulder.  
The brunette looked up at Hanji with large, tired eyes. "Do you know the code, Eren Yeager? Be honest and tell me the truth. Do you know it, or do you not?" Hanji looked into Eren's glossy and pink eyes, and when the younger brunette shook his head, Hanji watched his pupils dilate. They smirked softly to them self, Eren noticing but not caring. They could be smiling at anything at this rate.

Hanji moved behind Eren, putting the plate on their forearm and tugging the teen's arms behind him to retie them before turning and making their way out of the room, switching the light-switch off and letting the room be engulfed in darkness before ascending up the stairs and through the door.

Two sets of voices entered the brunette's hearing and they went to the kitchen, putting the dish in the sink before entering the main room of the house.  
"Ing of- Hanji." Levi looked to the brunette from where he stood with Erwin, the taller blonde following his gaze. "Hanji, you...don't look so great." The man analyzed the brunette, them giving a shrug with a short laugh."I'm fine Erwin. What are you doing here? Did you get rid of the van?"

The large man nodded, Levi huffing and crossing his arms to his chest. He looked to Hanji. "And?" The brunette smiled.

"He knows the code. Very well. It's just a matter of getting him to tell it." They shrugged, Erwin looking to Levi. "I still have Hanji's old office open. There's sure to be their sciences and doses of Sodium Amytal there." He turned his gaze to Hanji, the brunette pushing up their glasses. "Would that be helpful to your case?"  
Hanji pursed their lips and glanced to the basement door.

"It would, yes, but-" "We don't need it. It's just a stupid kid. Shouldn't be too hard- and we still have two days. You should probably go, Erwin. Wouldn't look good if a cop were seen coming out of here." Levi looked to Erwin, the blonde man shrugging his coat on more. "Right. If you need help with anything else, don't feel like burdens. You know how to find me." He glanced back to Hanji briefly. "Don't forget that your office is still open, either." Hanji nodded with a grin and Erwin tossed his coat's collar up before taking his leave out of the mansion, the rain immediately drenching him.

Hanji made their way to flop into a seat, looking to Levi when the scent of smoke drifted into their naval cavity. Levi looked to Hanji while taking a puff of a newly lit cigarette. "Fucking mutt's still gone. You know how much money I wasted on it's fucking food? Thing can fucking starve for all I care." He grumbled with an exhale of smoke, Hanji laughing. "Sure sounds like you care. A lot."

"Fuck you."

Levi took another drag and Hanji rested an arm on the chair's arm, putting their chin on their hand and slouching in the seat. "We're gonna end up killing him, huh?" The noirette's grey eyes looked to Hanji and the man moved to take a seat. "Why do you say that?" "Because he's stubborn. He'd rather tell us every single secret and regrets he has, than to tell us that damn code. I think we should just..." Hanji huffed, Levi taking a puff of his cigarette before running his gloved hand over his face. "You want to let him go." He looked to Hanji's eyes, the brown orbs looking away.

"Why do you care about this one? The last job was close to him in age, dark haired, yet you cut him up and had fun doing it. What's different about a kid-" "That's just it, Levi." Hanji jumped forward, leaning on their knees. "Think about what you keep saying. He's a _kid_." Hanji watched Levi avert his gaze and gave a scoffed laugh.

"You promised we'd never do a kid job. Not since-"

"I know what I fucking said. But we're doing it. Forget what I said before. We're doing this fucking job." He growled, Hanji's eyes wavering before the brunette flopped back and crossed their arms. "I'm going for a shower. When I get back, We're going to get that stupid code." With that said, Levi stood and walked up the stairs, dropping his cigarette in the big plant that stayed beside the stairs before disappearing into the nearest bathroom.

Tossing his gloves in the sink and stripping from his dark suit, a quick glance at the mirror made him pause. His grey orbs looked over the various wounds and scars on his body.

 _"I can't keep seeing you like this! It's sad, Levi!" Levi watched her face, her eyes glazed over and threatening to spill the most dreadful thing he could ever see happen to her._  
_"I only do it for you-"_  
_"Save it-I don't want to hear it, not anymore!"  Her bottom lip trembled, hand extended and forcing Levi to keep his distance. He had never seen her like this. And it was_ him _doing it._  
_"Daddy is that blood?" Levi turned his gaze to the door frame, to the child with his matching dark hair who stood with wide eyes of worry._  
_"N-no, no-"  He couldn't find his words. Everything was unraveling._  
_"Are you hurt?"_  
_"...It's not...It's not-" His heart thumped in his stomach. He couldn't do this. Those wide eyes staring into his own. His own_ reflection _._  
_"It's not his sweetie. Say bye to Daddy and let's go."_

No.

The echoing words of _bye daddy_ rang in Levi's ears and the man finally came back from his thoughts, eyes fixed on a single knife scar.  
He blinked a couple of times, letting his eyes regain some water before sighing and entering the shower, turning on the hot water and letting it poor down on him. Mid-washing his hair, his hearing caught sound of the door creaking open and he turned in the direction.

"Hanji?"

"Yep, it's just me."

Levi glanced out of the frosted glass of the shower, seeing the brunette's figure walking around the room. "Well what the fuck are you doing? Bathroom's occupied."

"Tch. Yeah yeah, whatever."

Levi scoffed and pulled open the door to peek out.

"Get out before I bust your fucking nose, smart ass." Hanji pulled open the mirror, digging through the various pill bottles that lined it. "I'm making something and need my benadryl."

Levi scoffed. "What the hell for?" Hanji waved the man off and closed the mirror. "Never mind. Are you going to try with the kid or not?" "Try for the code?" Hanji nodded and Levi rolled his eyes. "Are you going to get out?" He furrowed his brows when the brunette laughed.

"Come on, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked before." Levi's heart raced slightly and he flushed, the color hidden from the water's hot cover. "...Fuck off Hanji." The noirette grumbled, throwing his head under the water to wash out the rest of the soap before exiting, snatching the towel Hanji held out and bending over slightly to dry his hair with the fluffy cloth before wrapping it around his nude waist. Hanji snickered and Levi looked to them with flat eyes. "What, my dick?" Hanji gave a smug smile with a shrug before leaving the room.

"So, you're turn with the kid." They looked back to Levi, the noirette narrowing his eyes before slipping on his gloves and leaving to his room's closet for clothes. He reached for a white shirt but faltered and grabbed a dark dress shirt instead. He wouldn't go easy on the kid. This kid was stubborn. And he didn't like stubborn people. Especially kids.

 

 


	4. Chapter Four: Day One

**Chapter Four**

  
**Day 1**

   
"Wait, wait..." Eren raised a brow at Marco, the freckled teen looking away with a flushed face.

"What's wrong?" Eren questioned, the darker brunette meeting the teen's gaze.

"Well, there's..."

"Forget about Jean."

Eren moved forward, enclosing Marco's lips with his once more; the older teen kissing back hesitant and soft before moving away again.

"No Eren, I can't." He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head awkwardly while glancing to Eren, the teen huffing and flopping onto his butt from his knees, turning his gaze to the closed door with loud music erupting from beyond it.

"What do you see in Jean?"

Marco blinked and looked at Eren, the brunette still looking at the door.

Marco's dark eyes faltered and he fumbled with his shirt's bottom hem. "...Nothing. What do you see in me?"

The two met gazes and Eren moved closer to the older, making the male move back slightly on the bed.

"...I see someone who likes the wrong guy. I also see too many freckles." Eren's brown eyes took in the sight of the brunette's freckled pale skin, the blemishes scattering with even a few trailing up the teen's soft lips.

Marco looked at Eren closely when the younger teen cupped his chin, the two holding their brown eyed gazes before the older shut his eyes and let the kisses happen, brows furrowing slightly at the taste of alcohol on the latter's lips.

Eren's hands moved down the brunette's body, the older shuddering and keeping his eyes shut but not moving to stop the assault.

Eren opened his eyes to look at Marco's body, lifting up the older teen's shirt to get a better sight of the quivering pale stomach underneath. He looked back to Marco's face, the dark brunette's eyes still shut with light sparkles of light falling onto his lashes, cheeks flushed and brows brought together in discomfort.

Eren blinked at this and averted his gaze, dipping his face into the older's freckled neck to plant small and soft kisses.

"Happy birthday Marco."  His whisper was almost silent and his breath burned against the hot flesh. Marco's air hitched and he exhaled a long and shaky breath when Eren's hands ghosted across his stomach to fiddle with the teen's pants button.

The warmth in the room was suddenly snuffed, the room growing cold rapidly around the two and Eren moved away from the teen to glance around at the suddenly dark room.

His heart picked up slightly and he looked to Marco- the biggest mistake he felt he had ever made.

The older teen's dark hair was soaked with thick red, the brown strands suddenly appearing pitch black from the color.

When Eren looked to Marco's eyes, only one looked back, the other covered by blackened red that trailed all down the teen's right side. His left eye filled with tears and he opened his mouth to speak, blood pooling out instead of words. 

"Marco!" Eren stared at the teen in complete and utter terror, the teen's crying eye staring into the younger teen's soul. 

He raised his bloody right arm and that was when Eren noticed the large chunk of glass that stuck out of the brunette's neck, his right ear severed and his right cheek made of chunks of mush. 

Marco placed his bloody hand against Eren's cheek, the limb ultimately freezing cold-the immense scent of smoke filling Eren's nose and-

  
Eren opened his eyes with a loud gasp for air, eyes falling on Levi, the man standing with an empty bucket and puffing from a cigarette. 

"Have a nice dream?" He watched Eren struggle for air past spasms from the cold water that he had been splashed with. 

"F-f-fuck yo-u." The teen clenched his jaw, Levi moving to sit in the chair that sat in front of Eren. 

"Maybe I didn't hit you in the head hard enough. Should I cut out your fucking tongue or are you going to shut the fuck up?"

The man narrowed his eyes at Eren, the grey eyes telling he was probably serious. 

Eren turned his head away, wet hair sticking to his face and dribbling all over the concrete floor. 

That was right, Levi had come down earlier and asked for the code. Eren remembered the first hit when he didn't say it, that the bat connected with his shoulder before it started to blindly assault him- the assault finally ending with a good hit in the head. 

"Tell me the code kid." Eren shut his eyes tight, pulling at the rope that held his hands. 

It was looser, and that was good. 

I'm not going to die. Not without a fight, at least. He had thought to himself, Levi crossing his legs and holding the cancer stick in the corner of his lips. 

"No code?" Eren grit his teeth. In a couple hours, he would be free. And then? Then he would take off out of the house, no holding back, no nothing. He would run to the closest neighbor's house, ask for a phone, and be safely held in the police's custody. Just the thought made him want to smile. 

"Hanji!" Levi called, Eren opening his eyes to look to the noirette.

Hanji entered the room from the small back room Levi always left to, the brunette quirking a brow the noirette. 

"Yeah?" Levi waved them over, pulling out his cigarette after a long drag and dropping it on the cement floor, placing his booted foot over it. 

"Get over here." 

"I'm busy~" The two met gazes and Hanji huffed before entering the room with a pair of bloody pliers. 

"Forget that and help me with this shitty kid." Levi grumbled, Hanji raising a brow before glancing to Eren. The two held a brief moment of eye contact before Hanji finally shrugged. 

"Okay." Eren watched with blue chattering lips how the brunette walked to a far side of the room, picking up their blue rope from a hook. The teen's eyes widened, swollen orb becoming harder to hold open. 

"W-w-w-ait, what are you d-doing?" 

"If you aren't going to tell us the code, we'll just force it out of you. Simple really." Hanji shrugged again and made their way back to the two. "Sorry Eren. We know you know it." They went to throw the rope's noose over the teen's head. 

Eren shut his eyes and grit his teeth tight with a long growled cry of anguish. 

"St-op!" He cried when the rope was tightened flush around his bruised neck. 

Levi moved to remove Eren from the chair, forcing the teen to balance with one leg on the seat, the other out of commision from the saw's blade and the bat's force. 

Eren didn't bother crying for help, letting his tears roll while he cried silently to himself.   
There was no way out of this. 

"Tell us the code or we'll hang you until you do." Levi's tone of voice had no cold or bitterness to it, just pure normality. That meant that his was normal. Eren gave a single wail before snorting through a clogged nose for air, opening his good eye to look to the single door when a crash was heard. 

Levi and Hanji looked to each other before the noirette sighed in irritation, Hanji pursing their lips with a look of 'whoops'. "

You know what Hanji, cut out their fucking tongue. I'm tired of all their shit." Levi muttered, Hanji hitching an inhale and pushing up their glasses akwardly. 

"...I already did." The cold noirette's murderous grey eyes looked to them and they whistled. Eren never took his eye off the door. 

Someone else was here. Being tortured for who knows what. But that didn't matter. Eren wasn't the only one here. 

He looked to the bickering Levi and Hanji and cleared his throat before speaking up. "I-I'll tell the code!" 

The noirette and brunette both looked to the teen, Hanji raising a brow while Levi narrowed his eyes. 

"For what?" He knew about the catch. There was always a catch. 

"...For a meeting with the person in that room." The adults exchanged glances again, Levi being obviously annoyed and Hanji being speculate. 

"We don't make deals with stupid kids." Levi spat and Eren shivered from the cold. 

"Well I mean, we could. They're dying anyway." Hanji sang quietly, Levi flashing them a glare. 

He pulled the brunette to the side, pulling them down slightly to reach their ear. Eren listened to the sharp whispers and nervous chuckles that were shed, tugging more at the loosening ropes around his wrists while his teeth chattered violently.   
Hanji placed a hand on Levi's shoulder with a smile, Eren's in-commissioned red and watery eye noticing a change in Levi's emotionless demeanor- the noirette's sharp eyes growing soft and the pale skin at his cheeks gaining small color. 

"Fine." The noirette snapped, swatting Hanji's hand away and going to head up the stairs. "Hanji, let him see him. You know what to do after." Hanji nodded before skipping back to Eren when Levi left the basement. 

Eren wobbled, swallowing dryly when Hanji pulled a gun from their pants' waistband. 

They pressed the gun flush against Eren's stomach, using the other to remove the noose. "Try anything and I'll shoot. Bullets to the stomach don't always kill you so fast. A shot to the stomach can actually let you live for up to two days after. But it hurts like hell, and you'll wish you'd have died immediatly. Understood?" 

Eren nodded quickly and was helped back into the chair after, legs rebound to the chair's legs and arms hanging behind the chair's back. 

"...Actually Eren, I'm not quite done with him... Oh, it'll have to do anyway. It's not like they can talk." Hanji grumbled to themself before dragging Eren's chair to the room, the adult's brown eyes branching from the door to the floor, watching loose and bloody fingers scurrying away-much like catapillars. 

Hanji opened the door and entered with Eren, eyes looking off to the sane floor that only held fresh blood and teeth. 

Eren glanced around the room in anticipation before finding what he was looking for. 

A young adult male was seated in a chair, blood pooled under it and still gaining from the red that leaked from the brunette's

open mouth. 

The brunette's dipped head slowly looked upward, neck popping and forcing out a small, tiny groan from them. 

Now Eren saw just what damage he had been spared from. 

The brunette in the chair's slightly big nose had a giant gash in its bridge, forcing dark blood to crust around it and trail over their lips. An eye stayed forced closed from crusted black blood, and Eren only assumed they had probably lost it. Or it was at least horribly damaged. 

A hole lay upon their left cheek, revealing bloody teeth and spots with empty gums. Eren could only imagine what horrors were hidden under their bloody and torn clothes. 

"Okay Eren, I'm going to leave you in here with him. He can't talk, so I'm not worried about you sharing any secrets or information. And he's missing most of his fingers, so forget about letters of sign language. Well, I'll be back in a bit. Just... stare at eachother or something. That'd be fun! You both only have one good eye anyway!" Hanji grinned and Eren scowled at them, the new brunette not replying besides more blood and drool leaking from their mouth. 

They looked breifly to Eren before letting their head fall back down, only one ear hearing the door close- the other Hanji having had stuck a 5 inch nail into, severing their eardrum completely. 

"H-hey! I'm Eren-Eren Yeager!" Eren called in a hushed whisper, the brunette not moving in any way to show acknowladgement. "Hey, you have to...please- look at me!" Eren raised his voice slightly and the brunette moved their head up to face him, good eye closed while they breathed heavily through a tough and dry throat. 

"...What happened to you?" Eren whispered, catching sight of the brunette's tear stained cheeks. 

The brunette rested their head again and Eren growled when his tears blurred his vision. 

"Why are we here?!" He cried in a loud scream, lurching forward to cry into himself. 

Small clacks sounded and Eren sniffed passed his stuffed nose, looking around for the noise before his eye fell on the brunette. 

They had their head tilted upward, looking to the ceiling with a slightly open and hazy eye. 

Eren looked to their mouth, watching their jaw clentch and unclentch and furrowed his brows before wiping his face on the shoulder of his shirt to get a clear vision. 

"I-is that morse code?" Eren's eye's widened in happiness when the brunette moved their eye to look to the teen as an answer.   
Armin and Eren had learned morsecode for the sole purpose of sleepovers when they were younger so that Armin's grandpa wouldn't catch them staying up late. It had been years, but Eren still remembered some of the sequence. 

The brunette repeated the clacking of what teeth they had left and Eren listened intently to the sounds. "They want what we have." 

Eren furrowed his brows again and shook his head in question. "What's that?" 

"Information." 

The teen swallowed and shook his head again. "I can't tell them." 

The older brunette blinked slowly at the teen before closing his eye and clanking their teeth once more. "I don't have the information they need. They killed the one that did." 

The brunette opened his eye slightly and Eren caught sight of the glossiness that filled it. 

"...Were there more of you here?" 

The older closed his eye and a tear trailed down his cheek, sending an empty feeling of utter defeat into Eren's stomach. 

They were going to die. 

"They killed my friends. One had the information and they killed her." The brunette paused, looking to the ceiling before adding more. 

"They killed him. They took her." His eye looked to Eren. "They'll kill us. They don't let people leave." 

Eren bit back a sob at the feeling of new defeat before his eye widened and he looked to the brunette. "I'll get out of here. I'll get help for you-just wait. My ropes are almost loose!" 

The brunette blinked again before shaking his head slightly. "I'm dead. When leave." He paused and Eren could tell the conversation was exhausting him. 

"My name Bertoldt Fubar. Reiner dead. Took Annie." He paused again, jaw clenching. "If you find Annie- help her. Dog." He paused and glanced off to an empty and bloody chair and his eye swelled up with tears. 

"Dog killed Reiner." He looked back to Eren and offered a small, half toothless smile. "Good luck Eren. Don't come back." 

Eren grit his teeth at Bertoldt's sad expression and he scowled. "I'll save you Bert. We'll get out of here. Alive." 

Bert rest his head again and Eren closed his eyes. 

It was too soon to leave yet. But they wouldn't die. Not there. Not like that. 

Footsteps sounded outside the door and it was opened to Hanji, the brunette looking to the floor at something.   
They finally sucked their teeth and looked to Eren, bringing their hands together. 

"Done with your chat?" Eren grit his teeth with his brows brought together in furry and Hanji moved behind the teen to drag him back out of the room. 

"...What do you want from him? Whatever it is, he doesn't know!" Eren snapped, Hanji stopping and blinking at the sudden outburst. 

"Well Eren, that was abrupt. And how would you know that?" Hanji bent over the chair to look at Eren, the teen turning his head to look to the older. 

"You can see it. No one would die for something they don't know." He scowled, Hanji raising a brow. 

"Then does that mean you don't fit in that category?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

Hanji smiled softly, eyes glinting while they moved to the other side of the chair. "You won't tell us the code. You'll die for it, won't you?" Eren's eyes fell to the ground and he grit his teeth. 

"You see, that person in there does know the information we need. It's just a matter of him remembering." Hanji added with a shrug before placing Eren in the center of the basement once more. "I'll be back another time. Goodnight Eren Yeager. You'll tell us the code in the morning, too like you promised." 

They turned, making their way for the stairs. 

"And if I don't?" Eren called, Hanji pausing at the stairs. 

"You will. Or your friend's death will be painful and prolonging." With that said, Hanji continued up the stairs, Eren grinding his teeth and pulling his hands apart until his freshly scabbed over wrists tore all over again. 

Hanji closed the basement door, leaning against it with a silent huff before letting their eyes drift to the beautifully carved wooden floor. Their eyes caught sight of dark hair pooling from the cracks in the wood and they hugged them-self, cringing inwardly. It was when the dark strands started slithering around that they shut their eyes tight, their breathing stopping when they felt the thin strands making their way up their panted legs. 

Levi watched Hanji whimper quietly to them-self. Standing unnoticed against the kitchen hallway's wall, he simply sipped from the small tea cup he held before turning away into the kitchen's neat room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got on!!  
> I'm rewriting chapters one through I think six, so that's why it's taking a while uploading them; just gotta fix mistakes and crop parts I didn't particularly like. But you won't have to wait like, five months for updates because I already have up to chapter eleven typed, just gotta fix the first chapters from when I was like, a newb at making fics.  
> Any questions will be answered, and in this fic, Hanji is considered 'them, they' and chapter nine will explain.


	5. Chapter Five: Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had edited the chapter pretty fucking good, and I had also formatted it- pretty fucking good. But I decided to 'post chapter without preview' and the site decided to stick a fork up my ass and NOT POST THE F******* CHAPTER. So here is the chapter how it looks on FanFiction.net- where I didn't really do the fic very good. My apologies but it is hot and this site butchers me.   
> Also, I didn't realize that chapter Four looked like shit until I looked back... and realized I had posted it before ANY edits. Including formatting, erasing my '0000000' bookmarks, and redoing or erasing certain frases or sentences. But let me tell ya; It's hella fixed now.   
> Try and enjoy the chapter c:

**Day 2**

 

"Why the fuck do you even care for it? It's a fucking fish." Levi pointed out, motioning to the fish that Hanji pet, the brunette softly petting the fish's wounded side.

"Why do you like the dog? It's just a mutt." Hanji looked to Levi, the man scoffing and taking a drag from the cigarette.

"The fuck ever. I don't like it. It's a waste of money."

Hanji laughed. "Yeah, like money matters. You're just too proud to be sentimental- Mr. Sentimental."

"Better shut the fuck up or I'll burn you." Levi grumbled, pointing to the brunette with the cigarette's cherry.

"You wouldn't. You're too sentimental." Hanji said with a proud sniff, earning a scowl from Levi before the man made his way to sit on the brunette's bed, the brunette looking to him from where they sat cross legged with the fish tank in their lap on the mattress.

"You know Levi, that kid's actually pretty brave. We might need to actually go back to my office." They perked a brow, Levi rolling his eyes.

"We don't need your stupid chemicals. He made a deal with you and he better pay it the fuck off. Either he tells us the code, or I'll butcher his stupid cunt friend."

Hanji puffed on air and sat back on the mattress, taking their hand out of the fish tank. "Ouch Levi. Vulgar language."

Levi flashed the brunette a look and they quieted, looking off to their bedroom door.

"Has Erwin called back?" They looked to Levi, the noirette raising a brow.

"About what."

"You were on the phone with him earlier right? About the Fubar one."

Levi waved the brunette off.

"It's nothing. The department isn't getting anywhere on the case, so we still have him for about another week." He trailed off with a deep sigh and Hanji looked to him.

"But what?"

"He's not telling the information. Fuck the payment-go kill him off."

Hanji raised a brow at the order but stood, placing their fish on the bedside table before leaving the room.

"Actually Hanji, I'll do it!" Levi called, Hanji stopping and turning back.

"Hm?"

"Go over to your office and get your stuff for the Yeager kid. I'll take care of the shits." Levi grumbled, going past Hanji and heading for the stairs to the first floor.

"Okay, well, am I taking the bike? Wait!" Hanji ran to the noirette, grabbing him by the arm to which the man gave them a look.

"What?"

"Worry about the Fubar kid later, today's the last day of interrogating the Eren kid-right?"

Levi mentally cursed at this, and Hanji squeezed past the man to leap down the stairs.

"I'll get the code! You go and get a hole ready for the Fubar one!"

Levi rolled his eyes and headed down the stairs, going for the front door.

It was about time they got rid of the tall one. The clients hadn't called or contacted the man and he was annoyed.

There wasn't any reassurance of the payment-which was supposed to be big.

The whole deal made him feel off.

Hanji had told him that all three of the captives knew what the client wanted, but none spoke up.

After all that Levi and Hanji put them through, nothing made them talk.

Crystallize one and have the dog ravage the other still wasn't enough.

It made him feel like he was torturing innocent people.

But... wasn't everyone innocent anyway?

He grabbed the old shovel that stood by the front door and headed outside, dark green cloak sheltering him from the rain at least somewhat.

Hanji ran into the basement with a container of some sort of liquid, Eren waking up from his neck aching nap at the sound of fast and heavy footsteps.

"Tell me the code of I'm going to stick your wounded leg into battery acid!" Hanji ran infront of Eren and tore the lid from the container, tossing it to the side.

Eren's eyes widened and he choked.

"What?"

"Would you prefer your boo-booed eye?" Hanji tilted their head and Eren glanced off to Bertoldt's room.

"Wait-before you do anything!" Eren looked back to Hanji, the brunette raising a brow.

"What?"

"What time is it?"

Hanji puffed and looked to their leather watch. "It's six thirty p.m. Why? You don't have anywhere to be." They grumbled, Eren inhaling deeply.

If he was going to escape at all, it would have to be now.

It was most likely dark outside, and the captors would most likely kill Bertoldt if he didn't tell the code. And he wouldn't.

He rolled his shoulders, an elbow popping while he tried to loosen himself to squeeze his hands out of the ropes.

Hanji noticed to look of strain on Eren's face and glanced to their container of acid.

"You aren't planning on escaping now, are you?" They asked and looked back to Eren, two sets of brown eyes meeting and one's pupils dialating.

Eren pulled a hand out of the rope's binds and threw himself- along with the chair- to the floor just when Hanji went to splash the acid at the teen.

" _Lev-_ " Hanji's yell was cut off when Eren spun on the cement floor, scraping his shoulder on the rough ground but not caring when he smashed the chair legs into Hanji's shins-just below the knees.

The older brunette fell to the floor with a cry of pain and Eren quickly freed himself from the old wood.

"I'll come back for you Bertoldt! Wait for me!"

The teen cried to the silent room while he stood, growling a cry of pain when he attempted to run for the stairs with his wounded leg.

It didn't take a doctor for him to know that the bat probably cracked a leg bone, and he didn't doubt that the gash wasn't at least a bit infected.

He limped horribly up the stairs, falling on his side and crawling on his hands and knees on occasion.

He didn't know when, but somehow he was finally outside, eyes wide and body convulsing at the nonstop rain.

His eyes found the sky, the dark sky being ever so consoling even through the fact that it wasn't pretty.

The smell of rain made him want to laugh and spin in glee, but he refrained. He wasn't out of danger just yet.

His eyes found rows of redwood and he took off for the trees as fast as he possibly could.

Dragging his crippled leg he used trees to pull himself along in the forest.

He had no clue as to where any help could be, but he didn't worry too much.

He was at least out of those psychopaths' hands.

The sound of splashing and wet leaves rustling evaded his hearing and he turned to look just in time to see a black dog lunging at him.

The teen fell with a cry, dodging the dog's attack and rolling out of the way when the black mutt leaped for him again.

Eren sat up to stand and run, but the dog was quick to leap on the teen, its jaw leaking drool on the teen while it growled.

Eren brought his arms in front of him as protection, the dog snapping its jaw on the teen's right forearm when the action was made-forcing a scream of utter pain and fear from the scared teen.

The dog tore its jaw from the teen, tearing a slab of flesh with it, to which Eren cried while trying to force the large dog off.

"Sally!"

Eren looked to Levi, the noirette standing nearby with a shovel over his shoulder.

"Get the fuck off the idiot!" The man growled, the dog licking its lips with loud smacks while it slowly moved off Eren with small growls emminating from it.

Eren hugged his arm to him and sobbed in utter defeat.

He was caught.

Bert would die because of this, he was sure of it. No... he didn't want to be sure of it... but he was.

"Get your ass back to the house, Sally! Get!" Levi moved to smack the dog's butt, the black dog growling but obeying and walking through the trees.

"Get the fuck up." Levi went to kick Eren, the teen crying with shivers.

Levi grabbed Eren by his shirt's dirty neck cuff, pulling the teen to stand and forcing him to make the walk back to the house, not caring for the teen's cries or pleads or crippling pain.

Once to the house, Levi threw the teen in through the front door, Eren's blood pooling with the rain water that fell from them on the floor.

"Levi!" Hanji's shrieking voice sounded from the floor boards and Levi kicked Eren in the gut, the teen curling from where he lay on the floor.

"I fucking got him! Get up here!" Levi barked, Eren crying into his hand while he held his bloody arm to his chest.

Hanji emerged from the basement, slamming the door shut behind them.

"He attacked me!" They cried, Levi looking to Eren- to which the teen cried more.

"Enough of this shit." Levi growled, reaching under his coat and pulling out a .45 calliber.

"You won't tell us the fucking code? Fine. That guy down there won't tell us the information? Fucking fine by me." He stormed past Hanji, slamming the brunette against the hallway wall while he made his way down the basement steps.

" _Noooo!_ " Eren shrieked, choking on a stiffled sob when gunshots rang out from the basement.

Hanji looked to Eren, brows brought together in fury at the whole situation.

Levi re-emerged through the basement and made his way to Eren, recocking the gun before aiming it to the teen's head.

"I-I'll tell you the c-co-ode..." Eren cried quietly, Levi leaving the gun where it was aimed.

"Speak." The noirette's words were cold and only made Eren shiver more.

"I-it's ho-horrible... Pl-please..." The teen whispered, Hanji making their limping way to the teen to grab him by the hair.

"Say the fucking code-"

"It'll end us!" The teen screamed, Hanji furrowing their brows before releasing Eren and glancing to Levi, the noirette still keeping his composure.

"The code."

Eren growled to himself and writhed in the puddle of bloody water. "1420191-fuck! 920!" The teen cursed to himself-about himself, while Levi pulled a notepad from his pocket, copying the numbers to the paper.

"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Levi grumbled, Hanji taking a seat in a puffy chair, petting Sally's head when the great dane came over.

"...We're all dead..." Eren whispered, Levi pulling out a new phone to call the number of the client he had remembered.

"We have the code." Levi spoke into the phone, Hanji glancing over.

"Tomorrow, right? Mmhm. ...Yes. Yeah, make sure to have the payment. What about the k- ...Understood." Levi flipped the phone shut and tossed it to Sally, the dog snapping at it and catching it in its jaws.

"Take that to the fireplace Sally." He snapped his gloved fingers and the dog obeyed, Hanji placing their hands in their lap.

"What about Eren Yeager? Keep him until he's fixed up? Ditch him at the next city's hospital? T-"

"Kill him."

Hanji's eyes faltered at this and Eren choked on a sob. He wasn't going home.

"Well what the fuck? Were we supposed to kill him either way? Are they paying us on time?" Hanji stood from the seat, facial expressions raging at this point, to which Levi reached into his coat pocket for his pack of cigarettes.

Once finding that the pack was soaked, he frowned deeply and crunched it before chunking it to the floor.

"I fucking guess so. Why's it matter? It's not like we were going to let him fucking leave." The noirette grumbled, Hanji's brown eyes wavering before moving to the floorboards.

Levi narrowed his eyes to them.

"We _weren't_ letting him out alive. _Right_?"

Hanji crossed their arms and Levi muttered under his breath before looking to Eren's crying and writhing form.

"..."

He moved his gun from his side to point it to the teen's head, the brunette youth shutting his eyes tight and watching images of all the dead people he grew to love flash by.

He cocked the gun, holding his position for a minute before un-cocking it and dropping his arm back to his side.

Hanji glanced to the noirette before looking to Eren.

"...What's wrong?" They looked back to Levi, the man looking to the bloody water.

"We'll do it tomorrow. I don't want to dig another hole, and I'm not having a rotting body in my house all night. Take the kid back to the chair and get rid of Fubar and the tools." He ran a gloved hand through his hair with a huff.

"I'm going to clean the fucking house. The hole's by case 33-90's."

Hanji didn't complain, the heavy weight on their chest lifting while they quickly gathered up Eren, taking the teen into the basement and rebinding him before tending to his wounds properly.

No one wanted to see kids die.

No one wanted to kill kids.

No one wanted that kind of blood.

Hanji didn't want that blood.

They knew what it did to Levi. They didn't want to turn out like that man- haunted eyes looking at the world with only hatred.

It scared them sometimes.

Almost as much as dying.

Eren eventually tired himself out and Hanji finally finished getting rid of all the torture utensils used on Bertoldt Fubar.

Eren had stayed awake long enough to seen Hanji dispose of Bertoldt's bullet ridden body.

The teen's brown eyes had met Bertold's faded ones, and he could have sworn that the corpse had looked at his soul. It made Eren want to know more about him. What he did for a living. What his life was like. How his friends were like. He already knew one of them was dead, but the girl?

Bertoldt said they took her.

She could still be alive.

Eren had fallen asleep with those thoughts running through his head.

Hanji huffed and looked to Eren's still form before going up the stairs and to their room.

They flopped onto their bed, listening to the muffled sounds of water hitting the roof and a vaccuum from downstairs.

Their fish swam slowly in its tank, and the brunette looked to it.

"Amos..." They moved a hand towards the tank and the red and pink fish's movements slowed more.

Hanji huffed to them-self and lay on the bed, looking to the ceiling before closing their eyes.

"What?" Levi scowled at his new phone, shutting the vacuum off and wiping his forehead with his gloved hand.

"I know. We just found the bodies this morning." Erwin sounded on the other side.

"Okay, how long have the fuckers been dead?"

"About a week. My guess is that it was around the time you guys got the case."

Levi ran his hand over his face and huffed.

"Right. So we killed three people for nothing? How'd they die-"

"Assassinated. All of them. The leader and his gaurds- put on their knees and shot through the eyes."

"...Did they have any money? I know I didn't waste a whole week of interrogation on three barely even adult youths."

Erwin was silent on the other end of the phone and Levi growled to himself.

"You know Hanji doesn't have the stomach for that shit Erwin, what do I tell them when we don't get our fucking paycheck?"

"Calm down Levi, I can work this out. Now, I've been doing some digging, and both clients were different, right? The Yeager one and the three?"

Levi gave a furious nod before giving a 'yes' when he remembered Erwin couldn't see him.

"Okay. One case needed information, the other needed a code. One client and his business are dead, and the other may still be alive. Do you happen to know what information you needed, or what the code was for?"

"...Wait, you don't think my clients were rivaling, do you?" Erwin's silence made Levi curse.

"I always hated getting in the middle of shit like this. Fine. Okay. I have the code for the client and they'll be here tomorrow. If they don't pay us Erwin, then I'm killing them. Got it? I'm just letting you know, because lately you've been getting us dumb fuck clients who don't know a thing about business."

Erwin gave a small laugh from his end, making Levi frown more.

"Okay Levi, I'll come by tomorrow around nine p.m. to see how you and Hanji are doing. You're going to kill the teenager after this case, right?"

Levi furrowed his brows at this.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'm just wondering what you'll do when people realize he went missing."

Levi rolled his eyes and moved to sit in a chair. "He's was a runaway. Hanji already came up with it. We'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to see how Hanji's wounds are doing and see if the kid died yet. Bye Erwin."

The two bid farewell for the night and Levi looked to Sally, the dog sitting in a corner.

"Sally." The noirette called, the dog looking over before catching the phone that was tossed and taking it up the stairs, Levi following and branching off to Hanji's room.

He gave a single knock and the brunette inside allowed entrance with a 'Come in~'.

Levi entered the room and Hanji sat up to look to the man.

"Come to check up on me?" They gave teasing pout and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Just let me see your fucking wrist and head dipshit." He grumbled, Hanji giving a low single whistle before tilting their head to the side, letting Levi move to look to the stitched wound.

The noirette took in the sight of a pale scalp with stained red and pink irritation around skilled stitches.

"...Hm. That look's pretty good." Levi mumbled, mostly to himself, and Hanji laughed silently to them-self.

"Okay. I don't see why you're really worrying Levi. _I'm_ the doctor." They snickered, Levi reaching out to smack them over their healthy side of the head.

"But you're still an idiot. How are your legs? Didn't the kid hit you or something?"

Hanji sneered at this and Levi raised a brow.

"Little shit bruised up my shins pretty bad." He scowled, jumping up from the bed to throw their pants down in a bitter rage-Levi averting his gaze at a pantied groin.

He moved his gaze to Hanji's lower legs, the brunette's pants laying in a wrinkled and bundled heap over their socked feet.

He looked to their knees and grimaced at the sight of heavy bruising and swollen skin a couple inches from their knees.

The right bruising was yellow with some purple around it, red streaks from under the skin showing in the midst of the purple.

The left bruising was different, though. There was a slightly bloody spot in the middle of heavy and veiny bruising, and the skin was swollen and irritated around the bloody indintion.

"The chair leg nailed you pretty good here." He looked up to Hanji, the brunette looking to a far wall with their arms crossed.

The lamp in the corner was bright enough to illuminate Hanji's facial features, and Levi took in the sight of a slim face with natural yet beautiful features.

Dark lashes glittered with the light from the lamp and their pink lips glimmered ever so slightly from the lumination.

Levi swallowed and quickly looked back to the brunette's legs when he felt his face heat up if even the slightest.

"You know Levi, it's fine." Hanji grumbled and kneeled to pull their pants back up their slim legs.

Levi stood from where he had been sitting on the floor and nodded.

"Yeah. Erwin's coming by tomorrow night. The client should be here at brunch. Make sure to wear your best suit." He stated, Hanji nodding and pointing to a suit that hung on the closet door.

"Knives built into the lower under-front." They grinned, showing off some white teeth and nice canines, and Levi nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning." With that said, he headed for the door, only stopping when Hanji called to him.

The noirette looked back and the brunette sat back on their bed.

"Shower with me?"

They smiled and Levi's eyes fell to the floor.

Hanji noticed this and stood from the bed.

"You know Levi that it isn't your fault. It was a setup."

"One that I wasn't smart enough to see through."

Hanji noticed the shimmer of light on Levi's grey eyes and huffed a small smile.

"This," they pulled their shirt top off, Levi glancing over when he heard soft air as the shirt fell to the floor.

"Isn't you're fault."

Levi's eyes looked to Hani's nude top, their flat pale chest being covered only by clean bandages.

The grey eyes moved from the bandages to their slim waist, to jutting ribs and light yet deep scars that trailed from their hip bones to their stomach.

"This."

Hanji sounded again and Levi watched them reach behind them self.

"Was inevitable."

Levi's heart faltered when the bandages slowly fell down the brunette's pale body, landing next to their shirt on the floor.

Grey eyes stared at the dark colored and deep and jagged crescent shaped scarring that was placed from the center of under their flat breasts and that stretched to the height of their armpits.

"This was just a fault in a failed case from a corrupted psychopath."

Levi ground his teeth and Hanji gave a deep sigh before turning away and leaving to the bathroom, the door creaking closed behind them.

Levi stayed where he stood before moving to pick up the discarded clothing and wrapping.

He placed the things by the open closet on the floor before making his way to the bathroom, opening the door and entering the small and pristine room and closing the door behind him.

 


	6. Chapter Six: Day Three

**Day 3**

 

Eren murmured quietly to himself, eyes tired and heavy and arm throbbing from where the bite was taken from it.

He had grown immune to the persistent burning sensation in his leg and had already lost track of what time it was. It felt like he had been in this basement for years and the thought of it made him think about his dad. Did he even notice that his son was missing? Or was he still at the board meeting in the central of Japan?

He thought of his friends. Armin and Mikasa were bound to know he was missing by now, but what were they possibly thinking had happened?

He missed them. He missed the way Mikasa's face flushed when she yelled persistently at him when he did something wrong. He missed the way Armin would pause at a crack on the sidewalk before slowly stepping over it after a moment's hesitation. He missed the way Jean would drum his pencil on his desk every single day to a beat that didn't exist. He missed the way Connie overreacted when he would die in a game and he missed the way Sasha's nose scrunched up when she would eat Brussels sprouts. She hated them but still ate the greens, Eren had noticed.

It was the little things that Eren missed that made his heart ache.

Eren's tired and swollen eyes glided to the basement steps when the door opened and the wood creaked. Levi came down the steps with Hanji in tow.

"...Please..." Eren murmured, the words slurring off his tongue and his mouth barely even moving to them. He had only eaten at the beginning of the first day of his stay here.

He was hungry. Dehydrated. In pain. Filthy.

He was ashamed to admit it, but he had no way of urinating anywhere other than in his pants. He itched down there.

His filthy torn up shirt was making it harder to breath, his nose only inhaling the smell of old sweat and blood. His eye had lost some of it's swelling and pain, but now his sight in it was blurry and unfocused. His hands had finally lost their sense of touch, the rope finally numbing his finger tips.

Levi made his way to stand in front of the teen, looking the teen's bruised and battered body up and down.

The bruises had grown darker from the healing process, the bruising around his neck turning a sickly yellow with some green settling onto the skin.

He could only imagine the others that littered the kid's body.

The man hesitated while watching the teen breathe slow and wheezy breaths before moving his hand from his side, gun cocked and ready from the moment he hit the basement door.

Hanji sighed heavily through their nose and crossed their arms to their chest, still standing near the stairs.

"...P...please..." Eren's words were silent, only the sound of pitched air letting Levi know he had even spoke.

Eren whispered something and Levi moved the gun to the teen's head.

"What'd you say? Your last words?"

Eren gave a single and small huff, too tired and worn to do anything to get away. He dipped his head further, dirty and sweaty strands of hair brushing the muzzle of the gun.

"I... I said..." He breathed softly, trying to catch his breath. He was just about done trying to live, yet he still didn't want to die. Life was just like that. "It'll... Kill us..."

"What are you babbling about now? Hanji, the kid's gone delusional." Levi grumbled and placed his finger on the trigger, Eren glancing to the man with a soft groan.

"No... They can't... have - the - code..." He murmured, Levi glancing to Hanji, the brunette looking to him and giving a small shrug, mouthing for him to let the dying teen continue speaking.

Levi un-cocked the gun and huffed, putting his arm to his side. "Okay, kid. What the fuck are you wanting me to say? Sorry, don't care?" His voice was bitter and he was filled with annoyance. The only emotion he could concoct for an unnerving situation like this.

A dry throat made Eren's breathing hitch and he immediately burst into a coughing fit, gasping for air through a burning throat.

Hanji looked to Levi's face and could tell the man was more than done with all of this, so they ran off to the other room, re-emerging with a plastic cup of water.

"Here Eren. It's not clean, but it won't hurt." They moved to the teen, helping him drink from the cup- to which he took each drink in big gulps.

The drink helped his empty stomach briefly but didn't really sooth his throat too much.

At least now he could speak.

"The code, it's bad... You can't let them have it, please..." He looked from Levi to Hanji, and the older brunette crossed their arms.

"Explain. I'm not very interested, just curious."

To this, Levi snorted and Hanji flashed him a look before turning back to Eren, awaiting the words to quench their curiosity.

Eren pursed his chapped lips and looked to the ground. "I... I had a dog a while back. His name was Brownie but he was white." A small smile took Eren's lips but he regained himself.

"I came back from school and he didn't greet me like he always did... He was so fun... Energetic..." He shook his head slightly with a silent bitter chuckle to himself.

"I found him in my room and he was sleeping by my bed, but when I called him he didn't move. I..." He sighed. "He didn't have any eyes, and his guts were gone, and his tongue was gone, and there was a note in his mouth that demanded a code."

Levi and Hanji met gazes and Levi crossed his arms, holding his gun idly. "So what? We're getting fucking paid. Why would we care what the code is used for? You're not really telling us anything."

Eren puffed at this and clenched his cold and red-purple fists. "I'm telling you that it's for something horrid... The people, they want to do something to us- to make us stronger... You have to believe me." Eren's voice shook but was still loud and stern.

Levi opened his mouth to speak but stayed silent when the light sounds of knocking were heard, followed by deep barking and howling. He looked to Hanji and the brunette looked up at the floorboards above them.

"Hm. I think the client's here. If not him then it's his men." They looked back to Levi and the noirette cursed. "Kid." He looked to a worn and defeated but scared Eren.

"Don't move or make a damn sound or I'll have Sally eat your hairless balls." The man grumbled before turning and heading for the stairs, Hanji following after and ditching the empty cup by the stairs.

"Bye Eren, see you in a bit." They waved to the teen before exiting the basement, Levi already at the front door.

Levi looked to Hanji when the brunette brushed the man while moving next to him, the hair on his neck tingling at the brief touch. He looked to the door and breathed inwardly before opening the oak wood with a large but covered window.

His eyes fell to a redheaded male and an accompanying blonde of the same gender.

"What the hell do you two want? We hate cookies." He crossed his arms, gun in the back of his pant's waist band.

Hanji was quick to analyze the strangers.

The blonde's height wasn't quite average and their weight was thinner. In a good way. They presumed he might have some womanly curves, but that wasn't what they were searching for.

The blonde shuffled slightly, showing a type of nervousness within them. Their pale blue eyes were ones of strength, perhaps eyes with much death in their lifetime. This man was weak, but mentally strong. A tough one to break. But who couldn't be broken?

Hanji's brown eyes slipped away and fell to the redheaded man. He was more built, toned arms being well defined despite the suits both he and his partner wore. His eyes were cold and calculating, but not as much so as Levi's. His hair could best be described as a dreadhawk- something Hanji would have to explain to Levi later if asked.

The blonde's hair was a bit more professional at least; combed yet cursed with fly-away hair. The two's skin colors contrasted, the younger blonde being fair and pale, and the dyed redhead having a natural tan.

Hanji had decided.

One had to go.

"We're here for the code." The redhead stated, Levi rolling his eyes slightly and reaching into his suit jacket's inside pocket, pulling out the folded note and holding it out to the man. He pulled his hand away when the taller redheaded sir reached for it, his blue eyes narrowing drastically.

Levi held the note over his shoulder. He looked to Hanji, the two's eyes meeting for a brief moment before Levi nodded at the silent conversation.

He handed the man the note, the redhead making sure to snatch it this time around.

"What of the kid? Dead?" He carelessly looked to Levi, the man shrugging.

"Buried him out back. The payment?" He held out his gloved hand, the blonde holding out a thick envelope.

Before Levi's fingers even brushed the sacred envelope, a loud crash sounded- blue, brown, and grey eyes all meeting.

Time seemed to slow as the redheaded sir reached for his coat, no doubt going for a gun.

The blonde seemed to process everything that had happened, verbally and non-verbally, physically and mentally, and he dived past Levi and Hanji, rolling on the wooden floor and diving behind a couch.

With the paycheck.

Levi was faster than Mr. Red, hand lashing out and nailing the man directly in the adam's apple- to which he doubled over and struggled for air.

While this went on, Levi grabbed the man's head and slammed his face into his knee, the man crying out when Levi heard a crack. Three more slams into a bony knee and the man was down, like he and Hanji had for the most part sort of planned.

Actually, not too well.

The blonde wasn't supposed to hide.

"Why didn't you get them? Too busy standing to fucking do anything?" Levi snapped to look at Hanji, the brunette's brown eyes wide and wavering while they stared at the cut up and rotted face before them, body trembling.

Levi scowled. Hanji was having another fucking fit at a serious time.

While Levi saw Mr. Blonde roll to another couch to shoot their gun, Hanji instead saw a carcass moving with its forearms and shins gone, its short limbs moving like wheels on a car and popping insanely loud.

Levi grabbed Hanji and slammed the brunette with him behind a sofa.

"Hanji, you fucking idiot! How many times do I have to hide your shit, huh? Huh?" His voice raged while bullets hit the other side of the sofa, Hanji staring at Levi's distorted face that just seemed to keep rotting.

It was when a chunk of yellow flesh from the man's cheek fell onto Hanji's lap that the brunette managed to come to, blinking glossy eyes and looking to Levi's well alive and healthy pale face.

Levi noticed the change in Hanji's demeanor and huffed, slamming the brunette against the floor again in bitterness before peaking around the sofa for Mr. Blonde.

"Sally! Get the scrawny piece of shit! And I don't mean Hanji's dumb ass!" He called out, the fast and heavy running on the stairs sounding.

"Hanji." Levi looked to the brunette who was moving to sit up.

"Me and Sally are going to take care of this shit kid, and you're going to get your sodium amytal- got it?" Hanji nodded quickly, perking up and grinning; completely forgetting the images that had just come and gone.

"Can I take a bike?"

Levi growled but gave a single nod before diving out from the cover when Sally's snarls were heard with gunshots ensuing.

Hanji dived out from the seat and took off out the front door, leaping over Mr. Red's motionless body.

___________

It wasn't long before Eren was being picked up off the floor, arm numb from the weight of his body and the chair being on their side on the floor.

Maybe he shouldn't have tried to get out.

His right hand felt like he popped a blood vessel from the fall and it was excruciating pain. He looked to Levi, the man's grey eyes narrowed to slits.

"Didn't I say not to fucking move? Fucking idiot." He smacked Eren over the head and left into the other room.

Eren had seen Levi come in with someone a few minutes earlier.

They didn't look as bad as himself, but he was just wondering what in the world had happened. They were the clients, right?

Minutes passed and Hanji entered the basement, giving Eren a quick wave before entering the room with Levi.

The teen didn't want to know what they were doing to that person. It wasn't good for his mental health. Whatever mentality had gone unscathed.

His stomach growled and he whimpered within himself. He had been hungry before, sure. But starved? That was a whole different story. His stomach felt empty and hurt more than anything.

The pain alone made him want to curl up and vomit. But not even stomach acid would come up, he was sure. He closed his eyes, his hunger and stench giving him a nonstop migraine.

More minutes passed before Eren heard anything from the room. The only thing he heard was water running before Hanji exited the door to him.

"Well Eren, there's bad news. Bad news, you can't go home yet. Good news, we aren't going to kill you. More bad news. You have days to find out what your Fubar friend was withholding from us. And more bad news. You have to help us with something." They stated all of these while walking behind Eren, Eren feeling the rope around his wrists loosening.

He looked back at Hanji and stared at them. "...This is too good to be true... What are you going to do to me?" He whispered despite wanting to sound strong at the moment.

Hanji only smiled and moved to untie Eren's legs. "Okay Yeager, I'm going to give you a tour of the house. Levi's doing some... business, so he'll join us in a bit." They stated before standing straight, holding out a hand to Eren.

Eren's eyes wavered while he looked to the printless hand before taking it, Hanji hoisting the teen to his feet.

Eren cried out sharply and Hanji winced despite not being hurt themself.

Eren was guided up the stairs and to the first level of the house. There, he saw splashes of red and fluff on the floor. He turned away from the sight and let Hanji lead him upstairs.

"That was the main room. This is my bathroom. I'll let you use it, because you reek. No offense." Eren didn't argue and didn't fight much when Hanji stripped him. He was just happy to be able to move. Being confined to a chair had taken its toll. His legs hurt. His arms were weak, and his stomach was sore and ached.

"Okay, do you need help in the shower?" Hanji looked to Eren, the teen's eyes dazed and heavy. Hanji instead moved Eren to the bathtub, filling up the water and helping the teen into the hot liquid. He probably needed it more than food at the moment.

A cold bath after another, sitting in filthy clothes that just re-dried and re-dried. Not having a blanket or coat. The teen practically melted when he slipped into the water.

The sudden heat sent chills through him and made all of his hair stick up on end. His wounds and sore muscles soon felt incredibly relieved. If there was such thing as heaven in this hell hole, this was it.

Hanji sat monitoring Eren when the stubborn teen demanded that he could wash himself. His fingers burned and tingled in the water but he just saw that as a way of knowing that this was real. They weren't hurting him anymore.

He slowly scrubbed his hair clean, fingers aching when they bent but he continued to use them anyway.

After renewing the tub water a good three times, Eren finally felt clean. Pure again. But he was far from it and he knew it.

He was getting out of the tub with the help of Hanji when a sudden memory of Marco passed through his head, causing him to slip on the porcelain and bang his knee on the tub's rim. He and Hanji both exclaimed in pain and alarm and Hanji helped the teen out completely before wrapping a towel around him.

"Are you okay?" Hanji chuckled slightly while scratching their head with a wet hand, earning a deep frown from Eren.

"I'm fine." He grumbled, glancing to the bathroom door when he heard the stairs creaking.

"Why can't I go home? I gave you the code." He looked back to Hanji and the brunette shrugged. "You just can't. We aren't done with you. Okay, so I forgot your clothes. Be back in a minute."

With that added, Hanji left the room, leaving a cold and slightly more awake Eren hugging himself in a towel that grew colder by the second.

Something tapped the door and Eren jumped, body's shivering getting worse. "W-who is it?" He chattered, wanting to retreat back into the hot bath water.

If Hanji hadn't pulled the plug, that was.

The tap sounded again and Eren wished he remembered his captors names to ask which one it was. After all the times he had heard their names over and over and over again, now he couldn't even remember the first letters right now.

He moved a cold and vibrating arm to the door, fingers wrapping around the doorknob and turning it. As soon as he turned the nob, the door was slammed open, the white painted wood smacking into him and knocking him on his butt.

He looked to the open door and his eyes fell on Sally, the dog's mouth opened wide with teeth baring, its yellow eyes looking around the room before falling on Eren. It was big. And standing like it was, with Eren on the floor in just a towel, the teen felt at a disadvantage.

A very scary one.

He didn't move, didn't want to provoke the tall beast. And he was right not to.

The dog simply stared at him for a long and treacherous moment before walking to the bathtub to lap up some of the water that puddled at the bottom of the porcelain.

Eren scrambled to his feet, wrapping his towel around his waist and looking back to the doorway.

In the doorframe stood Levi, arms crossed and looking down at him. Literally up, but mentally down. Ah, that height difference. Some people would wonder why Levi wouldn't just do something scientific to spurt his growth. But then again, some people didn't always go home alive if they suggested.

"Are you that shriveled up from the cold, or are you really just that small?"

Eren flushed incredibly and hugged himself. "Look who's talking, sh-shorty." The words echoed into the air and the two were at a standstill, staring at eachother with Sally looking to the two while lapping the rest of the water up.

"Okay~ Clothing time- what are you two doing?" Hanji stopped at Levi's side, clothes folded in their arms. "Levi, take your dog out for a potty break."

Levi raised a brow at the order from the brunette. "What? Hell no. What are you wanting to do with this kid now? Play doll? It's a human, you know." He crossed his arms to Hanji and they handed the clothes to Eren.

"Yeah Levi. He's human. What did you do today? Shower? Get dressed? Eat?" They looked to Levi while the words settled in before heading away from the room. Eren didn't wait for Levi to leave the room, turning with his back facing the shorter man and quickly pulling on the clothes. Levi watched this while leaning on the doorway before looking to Sally. He gave a quick whistle to the mutt before snapping his fingers, the dog leaving the room at the nonverbal command.

"S-so..." Eren rubbed his cold forearms, Hanji having given the teen a thin black T-shirt and some dark slacks. But hey, any clothes were good at the time being. At least they were even clean. Levi looked to him with disinterest, eyes showing his annoyance and tiredness. "Sally? She's uh... Big." Eren scratched his damp head and Levi snorted. " _He_ 's big. His balls are bigger than yours and he's only still a pup." Eren flushed at this and glanced to the mirror at himself.

For the first time since the morning of his capture, he had finally caught a glimpse of what these murderers had done to him.

His face was a sickly pale and yellow color with pink blotches on his thinned cheeks. There were sick yellow and light brown bruises that littered his body, and the bruising around his neck had an emergence of light red vein bruising showing in the fading purple. His eyes were lined with a light red in his waterlines and he had a messy nose and chapped and bruised lips. It was his swollen eye, though that made him clench a fist. His eyeball had bright red veins branching from the corners of his lids and to his pupil. His lids were puffy and grey with purple and yellow spreading from the socket.

The thought of this assault made him look to his arm's bite wound. Rather stitched up nicely, it didn't hide the fact that there was still a big and deep gash there, the jagged wound red and irritated with string sticking out from it.

"It could have been worse. And its your fault anyway. You should have told us the code sooner." Levi's voice sounded and Eren looked to him from the mirror. The teen scowled.

"I won't help you with anything. Either you take me home or to a hospital, or I'd rather just kill myself."

Levi was about to reach for his gun when Hanji's voice sounded.

"Get down here! Le~vi! Bring the kid!" Levi scowled and exited the bathroom, Eren only limping after when Sally turned vicious and forced him out or be bitten again.

Not long later and Levi and Eren had arrived downstairs, Sally walking past and going to sit where Hanji stood by the kitchen doorway.

"What?" Levi crossed his arms to the brunette, the adult pushing their glasses up. "So. Levi..." Levi narrowed his eyes at his name being spoken but listened.

"I can't decipher the code. So I did some research on Eren Yeager here and got the perfect idea!"

Levi waved his hand for Hanji to continue and Eren swallowed hard.

"He has a friend named Armin Arlert; top student in the state and mildly autistic."

Eren's eyes widened at this and he shook his head wildly.

"No, no, you can't! You'll kill him, I know it!" He cried, Levi pulling his gloves on more.

Hanji snorted. "No way. We aren't pure cold blooded. ...Actually, you're going to help your friend decipher the code, or we're going to kill your other friend Mikasa. She's your adopted sister, right? I read that she's been staying at a Jean Kirstien's house? Hm. It'd be a shame to have him mysteriously disappear his junior year."

Eren grit his teeth and Levi walked to Hanji. "What exactly are you wanting to fucking do? The kid has obvious beatings and has been missing for days. I'm not kidnapping another dumbass, either. It's bad enough that we have _one_." The man grumbled and Hanji looked to Eren, looking the teen over.

"Eh. I'll keep him under my care. If he messes up, I'll deal with him. You'd better keep your friend in order Eren." Hanji sang before exiting the house.

"Hey Levi, I'll be back with the new one in a bit! And Mr. Blonde will have to wait until tomorrow." Levi scoffed. "Why?" "Because its my drug, and I don't want you messing it up." Hanji smiled and Levi's eyes burned daggers into the brunette, though they didn't seem to notice as they left the porch.

"...Say I help you find out the code. Then what? Will you kill me?" Eren's voice started Levi and the noirette looked to him, the teen looking choked up at the thought of he and his friends dying. Because of him.

"...I don't know."

Eren blinked, surprised at the response from the cold man before him.

"But I will kill you if you try to leave. We are being... _hospitable_. There is one bathroom here on the main floor, three upstairs, and another out back. There are three bedrooms upstairs, along with a study room- which is mine. There is a small room not to be entered under any circumstances. Sally sleeps in the hallway and is not allowed outside. Because he's a dumbass menace with a nut for a brain." Levi stated and flicked the dog's head, the mutt sitting beside the man but being tall enough to be even with his forearm.

Eren wondered how tall Sally would be to the man standing up.

"The kitchen is right there. You are _not_ welcome to eat or drink unless provided. I know how teenagers are with food." Disgust was spat with the words and Eren rubbed his scabbed wrists.

"...Okay. What about Armin? Are you really bringing him here? ...Are you going to kill him when you're done with him? This is all because of me, so I should be the sole one responsible!" The teen lurched forward and Sally gave a noise of question.

"I know. Because of you, me and Hanji got another half million k." Eren frowned at this and averted his gaze to a wall.

"...You'll regret everything that you've put me through when I get better." His eyes met Levi's and the grey orbs smiled with the man's sly smirk. "I'd like to see you try, Pretty Boy."


	7. Chapter Seven: Day Three

**Day 3**

 

Armin entered the house.

With a deep and heavy sigh, he tossed his car keys on the side table beside the front door. He sighed heavily again and ran a hand through his golden hair before pulling off his shoes and heading to the kitchen.

Three days. Thirty missed calls. Thirteen home visits. Still no Eren.

The blonde puffed and went to the fridge. He didn't want to eat, but he knew that when Eren came back from wherever he left to that he would say something nasty about his weight. It wasn't really a secret. Armin had been losing weight. Not starving himself, just simply losing weight.

Actually, there was a bit of self consciousness going on of his weight. He wasn't good enough for that one brunette.

"Your legs are sticks." Eren would say in middle school. "Come on Armin, even Crista has more meat than you and she's anorexic." All of the offenses echoed in his head and he shook his head to snap out of it, choppy blonde voluminous bangs bouncing beautifully like always.

He reached for the fridge door but froze when the front door's bell sounded. He made his way to the door, mind expecting Eren despite knowing it wouldn't be him.

Armin opened the door and looked at the taller brunette that stood there.

"...Hello?"

Hanji noticed the worn look in Armin's blue eyes. Slight grey lined the bottom of his orbs and his lids were heavy.

Hanji smiled. "I'm Hans Smith. With the Missing Person's unit in the next town over." Armin's eyes widened visibly and Hans held up his hands. "No no, don't make any assumptions yet. Eren Yeager is a dear friend of yours right? And I've been told that he..." Hans reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a notepad, flipping empty pages after a moment of pretending to scan them.

"Has disappeared? Would you mind coming with me to the rest of the unit? We understand that you two have known each other since childhood. That's actually usually very helpful. It would mean a lot. Maybe you could come up with some ideas of where he might have gone? Or who might have taken him?"

Armin looked to the adult's face of trust and glanced to the floor, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"...I could go, yeah. I don't think there's much I can help you with though. I've pretty much told the police all I know... which isn't much."

Hans gave a wide and toothy grin. "Great! Any information is fine. I have high hopes for your friend. Step this way?" He extended an arm, motioning to the new van Erwin had supplied he and Levi with; to which Armin went to pull his shoes back on.

"Actually, why don't you just follow me. That car is yours, right?"

Armin glanced to the white Camaro and nodded, sweeping his keys back up and heading off to his car.

Hans re-entered the van, starting it and pulling out of the gravel driveway into the rode. This would make it a hell of a lot easier to get rid of the kid's car. Hanji couldn't help but to smirk to themself, giving them self a mental nudge on the shoulder in self flattery.

Armin followed the black van that cruised in front of him. He sighed deeply. He really didn't know anything about Eren's disappearance. It bugged him. Mikasa hadn't attended school today, and he was sure it was due to the disappearance of Eren Yeager.

Jean had been quite all during fifth hour and lunch. Sasha hadn't eaten breakfast and rested in the nurse's office for the remainder of the day. Connie had been awkward, not talking back to any teachers in a fun manner nor bringing laughs to his classes.

Armin was sure Marco was turning in his grave.

He clenched his fists on the steering wheel.

Why Marco? Why not him? He shook his head and cracked his widow open a bit when his stomach turned.

He had seen the way Marco looked at Jean. The two were _dating_ for crist's sake.

He remembered how Eren looked at Marco. He didn't love him. No, no. He just wanted to soil his purity. But Armin was plenty pure, too. Why not him? Oh how he longed to feel those light tanned fingers running across his pale skin-

Armin noticed Hans Smith's van turn on a curb and he followed, puffing and shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts. Now wasn't the time for that crummy shit. Now, he was supposed to help think of clues that could help lead to the American Dream teen's reappearance.

Armin hadn't really even noticed how much of a toll his life had taken.

Eren was missing.

Grandpa Arlert had gone back to the hospital.

Grisha Yeager hadn't even been alerted of his son's disappearance, and no one thought it right to even tell the aging man.

Armin turned up the radio, letting the sounds of Arn Andersson's Annihilation fill his ears. It made him think back to when he was younger. Oh how the piano had fascinated him.

He remembered when he had been practicing for his recital in middle school. How a voice had whispered to him of how beautiful and slender his hands were. It was a beautiful memory. But he still wanted to puke upon its remembrance. Some things were just so... Disgusting.

Maybe that was why Eren tried so hard in school. Laughed so much. Maybe he was trying to make himself pure again. It was always the people who smile the most that have the most troubles, right?

Armin drove into the driveway of a house deep in the woods after seeing Hans Smith's van park at the rather large and elegant looking structure. The teen blonde exited the car, sending Mikasa a brief text of 'I'm at another questioning about Eren, in case you don't find me at home.' The noirette girl didn't reply and Armin didn't blame her. She was probably doing her own research.

Armin stuck the phone into his front pocket (after years of him pulling down his pants to go to the bathroom with his phone in his back pocket and it falling into the toilet) and headed after Hans onto the porch.

"This is... some establishment you have here." He offered, Hans looking the house's exterior up and down before grinning.

"Isn't it?" He inhaled the watery air before turning the doorknob and going in. Armin followed.

The rain outside had stopped the night before, leaving the city damp and fogged. But there wasn't anyone complaining. The cold weather was calming.

Armin laid his eyes on a large and blonde stout man. The man's eye brows were rather thick and his chest was wide- probably quite masculine underneath the tan suit he wore.

Erwin Smith pulled out his detective's badge from his tan suit pocket, Armin blinking and looking the man over once more. He hadn't seen this man before. Maybe he was from a different jurisdiction?

"Erwin Smith. I'm with the FBI's Missing Person's unit down south. Thank you for coming, mister... Arlert?"

Armin nodded, assuring that his name was correct.

Erwin offered a quite formal smile and motioned to an empty seat. "Please, take a seat. I see you may have met Hans, my associate." Armin looked to Hans and the man grinned while Armin took a seat.

"Now, Arlert-"

"Call me Armin."

Erwin was slightly caught off guard with the teen's words but smiled and nodded. "Okay. Armin. I understand you are fully aware of Eren Yeager's disappearance, correct?" Armin nodded slightly and Hanji noticed something in the teen's eyes. Not sorrow, but...

"I understand that most children die within the first three to four hours of their disappearance, and that 70% are not found alive. But what statistic does Eren Yeager fall under?" Armin's question was smoothly put, leading Hanji to know that Armin was well aware of quite alarming information. If other people knew that, they would be outraged. Demand a quicker search. But Armin remained quite calm.

"Well, Armin, teenagers have a larger captivity range. They can remain alive in captivity for up to, in rare cases, around nine years. We usually find them alive within that range, and teenagers also have a larger percentage of surviving. If a teenager isn't found dead within the first couple of hours or day of their disappearance, they are usually alive and if not, well." Erwin stated, Armin nodding once while looking to the ground, mind taking in the information and memorizing it quickly.

"We haven't let the public know, but we actually _did_ find something at the scene."

Armin's brows twitched and he looked to Erwin, the man reaching into a satchel. He pulled out a small piece of notebook paper and splayed it on the coffee table that separated the two from each other. Armin looked at the jumble of numbers that were scribbled onto it and looked back to Erwin.

"We think they could be coordinates, maybe a hint to where your friend is. I just want you to look at it and tell me what you think of it."

Armin nodded. Simple enough. His eyes wandered and found a chipped red coffee mug placed on a side table. Looked familiar enough. But countries sold hundreds of the same product everywhere. Why think on this one?

He sighed through his nose and scooted the paper to himself, looking to the numbers of 1420191920.

"..." He squinted slightly at the numbers in concentration before moving the paper back, face flushing.

Hans snorted to himself at this sight and Erwin blinked a couple of times in question.

"What do you think?" He asked while Armin brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and cleared his throat.

"W-well, I don't think what I think is going to help you." He mumbled and Erwin crossed his hands over his lap. "Enlighten me, please."

Armin puffed and turned the paper for Erwin to see the numbers right.

"Okay, well... I just kind of thought of it like, 'hey, those numbers could be from the alphabet', so I matched it up like that and saw '14 as 'n'; 20, 't', 19 is 's', 1 is 'a', 9 could be 'i' and 20 again as 't'." Hans stared at Armin in disbelief. Armin sensed the gaze and cleared his throat awkwardly before sitting back a bit.

Erwin gave Hans a look, to which he regained himself, clearing his throat and standing stiff.

"Continue, Armin." Erwin motioned to the paper and Armin breathed heavily before sitting forward and speaking once more. "I just thought of it like an anagram, with the letters amiss, right?" Erwin nodded.

"So I rearranged it and it spells 'titans'. I-it's probably not what you're needing, I'm just-" He sighed. "I haven't gotten much sleep." Erwin laughed and shook his head. "It's fine, Armin. Thank you for coming here. I very much appreciate it-" A loud thunk sounded and Hans coughed loudly, eyes flashing to Erwin.

The bigger man quietly growled to himself when Armin glanced around the room.

'Come on Levi, don't mess up now...' Erwin's thoughts were crushed by another thud and Hans' fake coughing.

"What's that noise?" Armin's voice piped and Erwin inhaled sharply before looking to him and forcing a smile.

"It's a dog. We have a cadaver dog with us when we do business like this. She just loves tagging along with us where we go. So..., thank you for your time, mister Arlert. I have high hopes for your friend." The two stood, Erwin's rough and calloused hand taking Armin's small and soft one for a handshake. A hard working man. Armin respected that.

Just as Armin turned to face the front door, the corner of his eyes caught something. He let the blue orbs get a better look and noticed it.

A splatter of clumpy dark red peeping out from under a chair. If he didn't know any better, he'd think it was coagulated blood. But he did know better. He faltered slightly in his steps, Hanji noticing this and keeping it in mind, though not pressing.

Armin continued to the front door, opening the fine wood and leaving back to his car.

"Hanji, go and bring out Levi." Erwin looked to Hanji and the brunette motioned to the front door.

"I thought the plan was to kill him."

"I'm a cop, Hanji. I may support you and Levi's profession, but I won't partake _too_ much." Hanji rolled their eyes and left upstairs, hand running along the railing while the took heavy steps to annoy Erwin. Like a kid would.

"Levi, come out!" They called, a door slamming open immediately after which Levi stepped out.

"Took you fucking long enough." He grumbled and dusted himself, glancing into the room he left before looking back to Hanji, the brunette pointing back to the room.

"What'd the kid do?"

"Fucking broke his chair. 'Busted his nose a bit." Hanji rolled their eyes and Levi made his way to them.

"So he's probably passed out now?"

Levi nodded with a quiet grumble and Hanji raised a brow.

"What?"

Levi waved them off and made way for the stairs, being stopped when an arm blocked his way. "What's wrong? Oh! The kid identified the code. Said something like 'titan'. We'll figure it out though." They smiled and put a hand on Levi's shoulder, the man rolling his eyes before looking to the wall when they fell silent. He silently cleared his throat.

"...About the other night... About us..." Levi started, getting cut off by Hanji's shushes. "It's fine. It was... I liked it... Not to come off as weird or anything!" They laughed incredibly awkwardly and Levi's grey eyes looked to them.

"...Erwin's probably still here, right? We should probably get back to him." He stated, Hanji blinking before looking away slightly. They nodded and regained themself, hopping towards the stairs.

"What do we do with Mr. Red and Mr. Blonde?" They looked back to Levi, the man motioning for the stairs.

"Erwin wants to direct us on that. We seem to have gotten into some pretty heavy shit." He grumbled and made way for the stairs, Hanji joining him down the nice dark and wooden steps. "This won't end up like that last one, will it? Do you think?"

Levi glanced at the brunette but didn't answer, reaching the bottom of the steps.

"Levi." Erwin stated when his eyes found the noirette from where he sat in what was known to be 'Levi's chair'.

Levi reached a hand into his jacket pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and taking one out. He would need this. "What?" He popped the cancer stick between his lips, lighting it swiftly and taking a puff.

"The Arlert kid's hypothesis of the code sounds pretty legit. You know what that means." He crossed his arms, looking from Levi to Hanji. Levi inwardly grumbled to himself and Hanji frowned, crossing their arms.

"Fine. So I take Mr. Blonde and Levi takes the coconut head?" Erwin flashed them a look at this but stayed silent at the insult towards mister Arlert.

"Yes. But before, Levi needs to take care of Mr. Red. Which, I may let you two know, their names are in the database. Mr. Blonde is Nickle Bien-Ame and Mr. Red is Norman Reed. Both grew up in Manhattan and both were incarcerated at early ages."

Levi nodded once, indicating for Erwin to continue with a "What for?".

Erwin pulled out a small notepad from his pocket. "It would appear..." He flipped through pages before stopping and skimming one briefly. "First degree manslaughter and hacking the FBI's criminal database."

Hanji gawked. "Shouldn't they still be behind bars, then?"

"Their subordinates have ties." Levi tuned in, Erwin nodding at the accuracy of the noirette's questioned statement.

"Alright, before I leave, I want to make sure nothing goes wrong with you two's plans. I'll monitor, if I may." Erwin smiled and Levi frowned deeply, Hanji smiling big at the sight of the blonde doing it.

Levi huffed and took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke while he spoke. "Okay Hanji, go and snatch up the Armin kid and I'll take care of Mr. Red." Erwin refrained from correcting Levi at the name change and entangled his fingers within each other on his lap. Hanji saluted and headed for the door, opening the block and exiting the household.

"So I kill Mr. Red." Levi looked to Erwin, the blonde giving a single and stern nod.

"He's the brute in the partnership. You most likely only need Nickle Bien-Ame." Levi nodded, glancing around the room briefly before turning on his heels and making way for the basement.

Erwin watched Levi's departure and sat in silence a moment longer before standing from the seat. His eyes glanced around the room before settling on a large painting of a lake in France. He walked to it, looking to the texture differences from the different brushes used. He knew Levi had painted this. He reached a hand to it, fingers brushing the rough and sand-paper feeling of the canvas under paint before slipping behind it.

Fingernails brushed something loose and he tugged, pulling his hand out to reveal the hidden prize. Levi. From back before he had taken on this mercenary work with Hanji. Back before he even _knew_ Hanji.

Erwin huffed a smile at the sight of a slight smile that curved Levi's lips, the man's grey eyes looking down at the young infant that he had sitting on his lap.

Erwin jumped at a sharp and loud piercing shriek from the basement.

" _NORMAN! NOOOOOO!_ "

_"OOOOOO!"_ Hanji screamed of pure exilerance, laughing wildly while they sped down the outskirt roads and pouring trees.

The heavy base in their loud Korn music blasted throughout the van, their hands gripping the wheel tight while their foot rested flat against the gas pedal. Their eyes were wide and pupils dilated- cheeks flushed. Their heart pounded with the beat of the music, exploding when the van launched forward after sinking into a puddle.

They laughed and moved a hand from the wheel, popping three of the eight white pills they held into their mouth, jaw shutting tight and smashing the drugs- the liquid powder inside filling their mouth with bitter and tar flavored goodness that only someone like Hanji could love.

Armin sighed heavily, glancing to his watch.

7:00 pm.

What was he to do when he got home? Then again, it wasn't like he ever did anything at all. Why question it now?

The sound of car tires screeching sounded and needless to say, he was alarmed but didn't act. Like how he didn't question the coagulated blood. Like how he didn't que-

The mug. A red mug. A distant memory of Armin's twelfth birthday resurfaced.

_"Hey Armin, happy birthday!" Connie's loud and obnoxious voice sounded, wild with a big grin._

_Sasha shoved past the hairless preteen. "No Armin, I told you happy birthday first, right?" Her eyes were wide and lips quivering with her hands together at her chest, praying to God that she didn't lose her streak of telling people happy birthday before they even_ knew _it was their birthday._

_Armin scratched his head a bit, nibbling his lip with a slight flush. "Sorry Sasha. It was-" "_

_Me." Jean slammed a fist into Armin's shoulder, appearing from thin air (Obviously not really)._

_Armin whimpered and covered his arm, Jean ruffling the preteen's perfect hair. "Happy B-day Armin."_

_"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled, glancing to a slumped and crying Sasha; the brunette bawling nonsense to Connie while he tried to comfort her._

_"So. Who was it really?" Jean raised a brow to Armin, the blonde looking to him in confusion before turning a bright red. "W-well, no one really, just... you know..."_

_"Marco?"_

_"N-no! Um..." He fidgeted. "Ere-" Armin fell silent and Jean raised his other brow, noticing Armin looking past him and turning to see what had the blonde's attention. Eren and Marco headed over, Eren's arm thrown over Marco's shoulder with the older brunette ducking away._

_"Eren knock it off!" He waved the younger brunette away, causing Eren to just hang off of the taller freckled teen. Armin rubbed his arm where he had been hit, not because of pain, but because his heart was heavy. He looked to Jean and upon noticing the older teen looking at him, he spun on his heels and headed the other way from where they were all grouped at the park._

_It was hours later of mixed feelings and deep thoughts at the local rundown construction site's bathroom that he finally heard footsteps behind him. A hand gripped his shoulder and someone shifted to sit behind him to his left, head dipping forward slightly at the position and letting Armin catch a site of brown hair. He spun his head to look to them._

_"E-" Narrowed and brown eyes were in place of Eren's big teal ones and Armin fell silent._

_"...Jean."_

_Jean scoffed at the blonde, looking forward at the cement wall that was in place in front of them. "Yeah. Hey. You haven't gotten any presents yet, right?" His tone of voice was smug and he glanced to Armin, the blonde glancing away._

_"...Right." Armin puffed and sat quietly before remembering and turning to face Jean. "But my grandpa said he's gonna-"_

_"I heard Eren has a present for you." Jean butted in, Armin blinking and looking away with a flush._

_"...Really?" He glanced back to Jean, the brunette nodding solemnly while he rustled a hand in his coat pocket. Just as he barely pulled something from his pocket, Armin jumped up from where he was sitting. "Okay, well I-I'll be back! Thanks Jean!" The blonde gave a quick wave before awkwardly moving past the brunette and leaving the cold cement room._

_Back at the park, Sasha Connie and Marco sat at one of the tables while eating cake and barbecued chicken with hot dogs._

_Armin's grandpa chatted a bit away with a young couple and their dog and Eren and Armin sat at the park bathroom._

_"Happy birthday again!" Eren grinned and pulled out a red mug from behind him, a cat being plastered onto its front. Armin giggled while taking it._

_"Eren, I don't like cats- I'm allergic!" Eren furrowed his brows. "Oh yeah. Well, how 'bout a birthday hug instead, eh?" The brunette shrugged, Armin shaking in excitement but keeping calm and just giving a shrug in response. "Sure."_

_The two embraced, Armin holding back the urge to hug the brunette tight enough to show that there was more than just friendship on his mind. Hot air puffed on Armin's ear and he blushed whilst in the hug, closing his eyes tight to savor the moment._

_The sound of laughing outside the cement bathroom made the two jolt in alarm, Armin's hand dropping the mug._

_"Oh, man!" Eren sat back and looked to the mug, a small chip on its rim. "Don't worry Armin, I'll fix it." He grinned with determination and Armin blinked before shaking his head wildly. "No! It's fine! You can keep it. I'm just happy you remembered my birthday." He smiled, Eren raising a brow but not protesting. "Well, okay." He grinned, picking up the mug. "One more cat for me!"_

Armin slammed the brakes, lurching forward at the force of the abrupt stop. "Eren."

Just when he moved to put the car in reverse, an alarming force was slammed into the his side. The flip was quick.

The first roll jerked Armin's neck to the side, slamming his head into the window and forcing blood to spurt from his mouth onto the glass.

The car rolled four more times, the teen's limp body no match for gravity's force against him, arms flying wildly before the right was pinned within the crunching of metal that bent and molded to his body like twisted art with a red tint. The car came to a stop upside down, tires spinning and motor hissing while spurting smoke.

Hanji stared at the scene before quickly getting out. Shit.

Shit. Levi paced slightly, processing the information. "Shut _up!_ " He barked at Mr Blonde, the blonde man sitting slouched in his seat and spouting quiet nonsense that made complete sense. Their dazed and rolling eyes found the body of Mr Red, the man's corpse tied to a chair in front of him with blood glistening from the grin in the man's throat. "...No...no.. .NorMan ha,..." Mr Blonde breathed quietly, staring at their companion before letting their eyes fall to themself.

He sat also tied to a chair but his arms remained unbound. Why you might ask? Well, because his hands were the only things keeping his guts from falling from his gaping stomach. His eyes glazed and unfocused and refocused, their fingers twitching from his brain's mixed signals. His lips parted and wails trailed out, Levi snapping to look at the young man.

" _Shut the hell up_!"

"Shit Erwin, I'm _fucked_!" Hanji whined while walking after Erwin, the man rolling his eyes slightly beyond being deadly pissed.

"It's fine. He's breathing, and he doesn't have anything broken. Maybe sprained or-" "I know, Erwin! I'm a doctor!" Hanji barked, Erwin raising a brow to them to which they quietly apologized, looking to the bloody and limp teen that the older man carried.

Eren stared at the ceiling, eyes itchy and irritated from the crack in the bridge of his nose. Damn. It was that damn chair's fault. Yep. Exactly it.

He sat up on the edge of the bed before standing and scratching some of the stitching in his head, wincing sharply at the pain that was sent down his spine. He heard the stairs and Hanji's persistently worrying voice and went to the door. He had discovered earlier that the door was locked. They wouldn't grant him too much freedom, he knew.

He kneeled, grunting in pain at the soreness of his bones and the burning of his wounds and put his hands against the door to peek out the key hole. His heart raced at what his eyes discovered.

Hanji worrying over a lifeless Armin that lay in Erwin's arms.

" _Armin!_ " The brunette teen screamed, Hanji visibly jumping and looking to the door before running to another room and opening the door. "In here, in here!" Their voice was hushed and Eren could only see their backs now.

Erwin entered the room, laying Armin on the bed. "What are we doing with him? I thought we were trying to _kill_ him!"

Eren grit his teeth at Hanji's voice and slammed his fist against the door while he listened.

"No, no. You and Levi think Eren Yeager will be useful, right? So you're keeping him? Well Hanji Zoe, I think Armin Arlert will be useful. And you _will_ keep him, too." The last words were almost snuffed out from the door being closed but Eren still heard them. 'Keep him'? He shut his eyes. He would have to do something about this. Armin was in this mess because of him. But deep, deep down, Eren was saying different things. He was happy that Armin was there. Because then he wouldn't be alone in this hellhole.

"Starting from now Hanji, Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert are not targets. I am paying you and Levi to protect these kids, and to find out just what is going on. Don't teach them your ways, but let them feel like home. And this... This is no home. Home is clean, healthy, environmental. We are all humans. And no human is meant to be tortured or locked up." Erwin's stern eyes found Hanji's and the brunette looked to the floor, head dipped in shame.

"...Yes sir." They turned and re-opened the door, making their way to Eren's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got really tired while editing Chapter Six and have school tomorrow so I'm trying to update the chapters fast because I rarely get anything done during the school week. I think the chapters will start going kind of a lot unedited from this point on because these are the chapters where I really remember getting the hang of things, so I'm just going to post them.  
> If there are any mistakes, please PM me (I think you can here) or just leave a comment. 
> 
> When Chapter Twelve is reached, the chapters will be slow to update because it is chapter thirteen and on that I haven't created yet, so we'll all be in the suspense together! Yay!
> 
> Also, I don't know how, but I never realized that I gave 'Hans' and Erwin both the same last names of 'Smith'. Hehe I'm a dumbass.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter 8**

**Day 4**

 

"You're the dumbest fuck ever Hanji."

"Levi, don't be so cruel! Erwin said so!" Hanji crossed their arms, flopping back in the seat while neglecting their breakfast.

"Fucking Blue-blood." Levi grumbled under his breath and lifted his own plate of breakfast, bringing it to his side and dumping the eggs and bacon to the floor before whistling for Sally, the dog running in immediately and slamming his face into the food. Hanji bit their tongue at this gesture, having spent a good amount of time making the meal.

Levi looked to the brunette, eyes taking in the sight of a pale and sickly figure with eyes slightly wide at the corners and lids tinted in the faintest grey.

"...Hanji." He mentally kicked himself at bringing up the subject, but if he didn't now, would he ever again? Hanji's eyes darted to the noirette from where they were stuck on Sally's sliced cheeks and left eye hanging out of the socket by a thin pink-red cord. "Yeah?" They forced a grin, Levi only knowing its faultiness at the mental note of the brunette's eyes not smiling with their lips.

The noirette contemplated this conversation. Thought of dropping it. But Hanji would know something was up if he did. He frowned. "The blonde kid. How is he?" Hanji blinked at this before giving an actual grin. "Great! I used that new remedy I found and it works like a charm! His wounds are already closing up pretty well. Can't say the same about the bones, though, but I think he'll be fine. Hell, he may even be able to walk around!" Levi nodded, getting a chill from Hanji's enthusiasm.

"...If we really have to keep the kids, we might as well use them. Besides. This is their mess." Levi muttered, Hanji glancing to the stairs at a light thump that sounded. They looked back to Levi. "...So... You want to tell them what's going on? Levi, I don't think they're in good enough shape to fight anyo-"

"Who cares!" Levi barked, Hanji flinching and glancing away briefly before sitting straight in the chair. Levi blinked and shook his head slightly, giving a long exhale. "Hanji, I'm sorr-" "I-it's fine." Hanji put up a hand to stop the noirette before offering a tiny smile.

"You want us to make them participate in this case, right? I get it. I know you're upset. It's because they're kids, right?" Their eyes met Levi's and the man averted his grey ones. "..." He grit his teeth briefly before taking in a breath and sitting straight, calming himself. "I'm fine. Go and unlock the brats' rooms and I'll take care of Mr. Blonde's body." Hanij nodded, slowly standing from their seat and going to the stairs, Sally following half way but retreating when Levi whistled for the mutt.

A heavy weight was what woke Armin, the blonde's sore and swollen eyes slowly opening and falling to a blurry and fuzzy figure draped across him.

The blonde blinked slowly, eyes sore from the light that shone into the room. This wasn't home, he soon realized. The smells of books and lemons weren't present. But why? Where was he? He opened his mouth slightly before shutting it when only a sharp noise came out.

The figure atop him shuffled before coming up, sitting in a chair beside the bed with their head and arms resting on Armin's stomach. "Armin?" The voice was all too familiar and Armin blinked a few times to adjust his eyesight.

"...Eren?" This had to be a dream. Eren Yeager, 17 year-old American dream teen was missing without a trace for what was now four days- most-likely never to return. Why would Armin be hearing him now? He wasn't. That's why. He was finally losing it.

His eye sight slowly adjusted to make out what was, in fact, Eren. But not exactly in the shape Armin thought he would _ever_ see him in. A right eye in the slow recovery process of something that had to be nasty at first, heavy bandaging on a right forearm and a brace on the same knee. Although Eren's hair was tangled and stringy and his body looked to be in ruins, his clothes were fresh and he smelled like his usual everyday smell; lemons and spice. The situation made Armin feel weird. Like it was a type of trap. But what kind?

Armin sprung up into a sitting position, hoping to fling his arms around Eren's neck and hug and smother the teen in a non-healthy embrace, but the action was put off when a massive throb struck his head and he whimpered, moving to place a hand to his forehead but stopping when his eyes caught sight of bandaged fingers and red and purple veins trailing from the adhesive and blending into his wrist.

"...Wh..." The sudden realization that he wasn't unscathed sent a wave of anguish through him. "H... Wha... Ere-"

"Armin, you're okay, calm down." Eren's voice distorted to Armin and the blonde's pale eyes wavered, his sight unfocusing with the tears that weld up inside them.

"What happened to me?" He managed to whisper all together in a sob and Eren lunged forward, engulfing the younger teen into a tight hug that unintentionally forced him to fall back into the bed, abrupt motion making the blonde lightheaded- which only worsened the more he cried, arms slipping around Eren and fingers gripping the teen's shirt despite the burning but cold sensation that pulsed through the small limbs.

Eren didn't reply.

Instead, he stayed silent, biting back his tongue and holding Armin to him tightly while the blonde cried, his cries making the brunette's eyes glaze but not spill over. He shut his eyes tight and took in a sharp breath before gripping Armin's shoulders and pushing him away from him slightly; just enough to look to him face to face.

"Armin." He whispered, Armin's glossy and swollen, pink eyes looking to his.

"Does my dad know I've been gone? ...Are there people looking for me?" He whispered, corners of his mouth curling in slight hope. Armin blinked a few times before squinting slightly while the questions registered.

Eren stared at Armin's blank eyes before letting his shoulders fall and dropping his head in the crook of Armin's neck and shoulder with a heavy exhale. Even if people had been searching for him over his days of disappearance, how close had they even _gotten_ to finding him? Strands of the brunette's hair were brushed and he buried his face deeper into the smaller frame, the blonde with him's hand resting on his head with his fingers achingly running through the brown locks.

"...We've missed you..." Armin whispered, eyes fixating on the floor beyond them. "...Where have you been? ...What's happened...?" He whispered again, almost inaudible when his mouth twisted from a sob trying to escape, brows brought together while his vision stayed hazed from glossy tears. "I-I can't explain-" Eren jumped up from the bed, cutting himself off to limp for the door.

"I've gotta get us out of here!" Armin watched with wavering eyes as Eren tried the doorknob, the brass turning with no fail but a loud thump on the other side of the door made the teen jump back.

"Good Sally." A muffled voice sounded from beyond the door and Armin pulled the blanket up more on himself when the knob turned, the door swinging open not soon after. Levi stepped foot in the doorway, eyes landing on Eren before scanning and falling on Armin.

"You." He pointed a black gloved finger towards the blonde, Eren immediately moving to stand in front of the bed that held the teen. Levi looked to Eren and raised a brow before rolling his eyes.

"I just need to talk to him. And you. Sit the fuck down and don't talk." Levi reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a cigarette from his pack and sticking it between his lips while watching Eren reluctantly limp to the bed and perch on the edge beside Armin's legs.

It wasn't like the teen to be so obedient to scum like him, but he didn't want Armin to freak out and get scared if he were to fight back. And he wasn't physically able to anyway. And it bothered him. He wasn't supposed to be weak. And here he was, a cracked knee and a sliced leg, tch.

He narrowed his eyes to Levi and the man flicked open his lighter, lighting his cancer stick and putting the fluid capsule up before taking a puff and making the cherry burn red.

"Okay." He spoke, exhaling the smoke through his nose and lightly kicking the floor with his booted heel. "You." He pointed a gloved finger to Armin, averting his eyes to look to Eren when the blonde's glossy eyes met his cold grey.

"Your friend will be staying with us." He stated, deciding to speak to Eren rather than the emotional and scared younger. "You and him will be in no danger here, as long as you two abide by our rules, understand? You and coconut head will be staying here until we can make sure that you'll both be safe. _I'm_ not up for the idea, so if either of you talk back, attack me or my partner, or try to escape; I will bust out your fucking teeth and leave you in Sally's care, understand? I've done it before, I'll fucking do it again." He grumbled, looking from Eren to Armin to make sure the two got the message.

Armin looked away when he and Levi's eyes met, the movement causing a stray tear to roll down his pink and bruised cheek. Eren clenched a fist and grit his teeth, eyes narrowed at Levi. Why play nice guy now? What was the catch? Levi took a puff of the cigarette, putting it between his index and middle finger and letting his hand drop to his side with the cancer stick.

"We can't keep you two completely safe, though." Ah, there it was. The catch. "Me and my partner are only human, and this is you two's mess. That means that the both of you have also got to be involved.

"Armin Arlert, you will help us to decipher any information we need of you, no questions asked." He motioned to Eren with his cigarette, ignoring Armin and his lost thoughts. "And you, Eren Yeager, will take any drugs needed of you. No questions asked. This is your mess, and you had better fucking clean it up." The noirette scowled, Eren's mouth immediately opening to protest, but a growl from Sally stopped him; who knew when the dog had even entered the room.

"Me and Hanji will be down stairs, and don't try to leave. You both slept 'till sundown, so we expect you to come down and eat. Remember, shitheads; you two aren't our welcomed guests. We didn't fucking invite you two idiots. You abide by our rules, or you end up like the other cases. Case Closed." Levi took another puff from his cigarette, Armin sitting in utter fear and confusion and Eren burning holes into Levi's form that showed no response to the glare at all.

The noirette looked from one teen to the other before turning to leave the door frame. "By the by, Arlert's wheelchair is in the corner." He stated before officially leaving the teens to themselves, Sally watching the man leave while sitting before standing and following the human with a smack of his lips.

Armin and Eren's eyes both moved to a corner of the room, Armin finding the chair with two large blue eyes and Eren's attention being snapped to the bed when sheets ruffled. Armin was frantically tearing the sheets from himself, Eren rushing to his side just in time to catch the blonde when he tumbled from the mattress, legs smacking into the wooden floor while Eren held his torso from colliding with the force. "Eren...!" The tiny cry was lost in the whisper it came out in and Eren slowly kneeled, letting his knee's tissue and tendons fit into place, careful not to hurt himself. He kept his arms around Armin, holding the younger teen to him in a tight hug despite the blonde's whimpered sobs from bruises being pressed to a just as wounded yet healing form.

"I-I can't mo- it hurts!' Armin sobbed, Eren closing his eyes and breathing deeply and smoothly through his nose. Armin couldn't feel his legs. And Eren couldn't feel sympathy for the teen. Sure, he was upset for his friend. But deep down, maybe there was a bit of greed. He was _not_ going to suffer here alone.

Eren placed a hand on Armin's head, sliding his weak fingers through the teen's blonde strands. "It's okay, Armin. We'll get out of here, and it'll all be better." But would it really? Eren knew they would never get out. He came to this a small while ago. If telling his best friend lies was a good way to making him leave everything to the more dominant in the friendship, then great.

Eren had come to the idea that he didn't even need to go back anymore. It was just a good thought. But because he knew he would be stuck here, why stay alone? So be it. The brunette shushed Armin soothingly, the blonde's crying ceasing into small cries and coughs. So be it.

xxx

Hanji nibbled their thumb nail while pacing slightly in their room. "Levi! _Levi_!" They had called for the man five times already and had grown impatient. Their eyes darted to their fish, the red-pink beta swimming slowly around the glass, the wounded grey scales spreading with a dark red color of meat being left in their wake. Its skin was rotting. And making a hole while at it.

"What?" Levi's voice sounded grumbled from the door, the wooden frame being pushed open with one hand while the other occupied a Styrofoam cup from Sonic.

"What's your problem now?" The noirette grumbled, Hanji turning to him. "My fish is rotting, and you're out there- ...Is that Sonic?" They pointed a print-less finger to the cup and Levi looked to it lazily, eyes looking to the logo before rolling back to Hanji. He shrugged. "Yeah." Hanji stared at the cup before throwing up their arms. "Unbelievable! I'm here taking care of my fish all by my self, and you're out buying Fast-food! Levi, I-" "Shut the hell up Hanji. I've had enough today. Your moods-wings aren't entertaining anymore." Levi grumbled and shoved past the brunette, the adult being left gawking and red-faced while Levi made his way to the fish tank.

He kneeled beside the glass, placing the cup beside him on the floor, eyes looking over the colored scales before huffing. "Well Hanji, I don't fucking know. Change-" His stomach turned and he narrowed his eyes. He never felt like this. His neck tingled and his legs grew soft. Sally called out a loud bark that seemed to echo in Levi's ears. He leaped up from his kneeling position, turning to Hanji just in time to see their facial expression change from confusion to fear when the bedroom window shattered, what could only be noted as a bullet flying from it and lodging deep into the brunette's neck, slamming their body to the ground with a sick thud.

Their hand flew to their neck immediately and they met eyes with Levi. "Get the kids!" They yelled over the loud rockets of dozens of bullets following the first. Levi didn't hesitate, turning on his heel and rushing out of the room, spinning down a corner and slamming into the room that held the two teens.

"Get down!" He called out as soon as the door gave way, slamming into the wall. His eyes scanned the room before falling to Eren and Armin, the two sitting on the floor beside the bed-opposite the window; thank god.

Armin sat covering his ears with his hands, eyes shut tight, while Eren stayed ducked beside the bed, eyes on Levi.

The noirette made eye contact with the brunette and he quickly analyzed the scene. Two civilians. One wheelchair. A bed. A large window. Two rows of heavy artillery bullets shooting- one nonstop. Most notably a machine gun. The other, perhaps an AK 47. And just to be safe, assume there is a sniper also. The odds weren't good.

A quick analysis to Hanji's room. A wounded civilian- a shot to the neck. Probably eight minutes before critical. One bed. One fish-tank. One large window with three rows of nonstop bullets, most likely machine guns. Odds still not good.

Now a quick analysis of the down stairs. One ex military combat dog. Three chairs in the living area. One sofa. A coffee table. A strong wooden front door and glass back door. Three large windows in the living area. A gun shelf in the dining area. Code: 409AEW10. Odds of getting to it in time = 0 out of 10. But, then again. Fuck the odds.

"Yeager, take your friend and get to the basement, now!" Levi ordered, Eren nodding quickly and moving to hoist Armin onto his back, the blonde wrapping his arms tight around Eren's neck while the brunette struggled to stand, knee planning on giving out immediately. Levi crouched and rushed to the side of the bed with the teens, kneeling beside it for shelter and placing his hands on the bottom frame. He looked to Eren.

"When I count to three, you head for the basement. Don't look back, don't mind anyone. Ignore Hanji's cries and Sally's barks, you hear?" Eren nodded in understatement at the look in Levi's eyes. As of right now, Eren wasn't afraid of the noirette's piercing grey eyes. As of right now, he felt somewhat _trusting_ of him. The rain of bullets stopped and voices yelling outside took their place. Eren turned his attention to the shattered window, eyes narrowing at the sudden silence.

"Eren!" Levi barked quietly, the brunette's attention snapping back to the man. Levi was slightly taken back by the sudden attention but spoke anyway, despite his surprise. "The room where Bertoldt Fubar was kept in. Inside, there is a bolt lock. Get in there and stay in there until I tell you to get out. There is a closet in the left corner. Get in it. If I'm not there in ten minutes, there is a tunnel. Go down it. But _only_ if time is up, got it?" Eren gave a single, understanding nod, and Levi stared into the teen's teal eyes for a moment. For a second, he swore he had seen those eyes before. Right... The eyes of Joey. Little Joey... " _Now_!" A small ball flew in through the window and Eren stood with all his effort, jugular vein straining while he ran out of the room as best he could, Armin crying out apologies while the older teen struggled to put his weight on his knee.

A thump sounded and Eren looked back into the room just in time to see Levi throwing the bed onto its side. He slammed his body into it, quickly sliding it against the window when more shots rang out. A beeping noise took turn and Levi and Eren met eyes. " _Go_!" " _Grenade_!" Levi's and a voice outside ran together and Eren picked up agonizing pace when the beeping grew quicker before being snuffed out by a loud explosion.

" _Get her_!" " _Tie her up_!" " _Don't let her get away_!" Eren heard voices followed by a screaming and shrieking voice sounding from a room. Armin buried his face in the crook of Eren's neck and the brunette felt the blonde's hold grow tighter.

" _Ignore Hanji's cries_ ".

Eren remembered and kept his pace, running for the stairs with stiff and limping movements. He could barely think. All he knew was... There are people in the house. There are guns. I think I hear Hanji screaming. He gave a sharp and piercing cry out when his knee cap slid against the cartilage; having threw out his leg wrong when advancing down the stairs.

He reached for the stairs' railing for support and actually felt his heart stop when he missed it, fingers brushing it as God's way of saying " _You've lost_ ".

Armin's screams filled Eren's ears when he felt gravity give way, and he soon found them falling. The first hit stung. A stair nailing his forehead and busting the skin. The second hit would leave a bruise. His good forearm slamming against a stair's edge and probably spraining his elbow from the quick motion. The third hit took his air. His back slammed into the floor at the bottom of the steps, his air hitching and leaving him struggling for breaths.

Armin had gone silent, a hole imbedding in his cheek; possibly from a nail sticking out of a stair. "Armin..." Eren huffed, hazy eyes looking to the motionless blonde whom lay sprawled on his stomach.

" _I got 'em!_ " A voice called out, Eren looking up the stairs in time to see a man in black standing at the top. He raised a long and black pole, Eren's mind making it up to be a possible sniper rifle. The man raised the gun to his face, one eye closing and the other looking through the scope. " _Gotcha._ " His finger moved to press the trigger and Eren put his face to the floor.

Silence ensued and Eren opened his eyes slowly to look back to the man. His eyes widened and he could feel his brows twitching at what his eyes found. A long blade protruded from the man's throat, the stainless steel being slipped out before being slammed back inside, blood spilling and raining from the man's gurgling throat, a blonde woman standing behind the man with a tight grip on the blade's handle.

The woman's piercing pale blue eyes slid from the man to Eren and the teen could have sworn he saw tears. Time rushed back to the teen and he scrambled to Armin despite the overwhelming pain, grabbing his blonde companion and making his way to the basement.

Once inside, he did exactly what Levi had said. He locked the door. And he entered the closet. And he waited.

Sitting against the wall and holding Armin to him, he waited. Shooting and yelling could all be heard from upstairs, with an occasional bark or growl or howl from Sally.

Somehow, it soothed Eren. Knowing that Sally was alive. Although the mutt had nearly tried to eat him. But he was also worried. What of Levi? And Hanji? He could almost laugh at how pathetic he had become. What was it he was experiencing? Stockholm Syndrome? He would never become friendly with these captives of his. But who was to say that he already hadn't?

Armin stirred and murmured something from within his sleep and Eren put his head back, closing his eyes with a sigh. It felt like they had been in there for an hour. But they probably hadn't even been in there five minutes. Who was that woman? He breathed heavily.

The scent of old blood and mold reminded him of when he had first come in this room. To meet Bertoldt. The memory was sour and full of sad melancholy, but he was still happy. He had made a friend in just a few minutes. And he had also seen his demise.

He reminded him of Marco. It made him wonder how Bert's lips would feel. Soft, perhaps? Maybe a bit rough. He looked like a hard worker. Not one to take time for luxuries.

The more he thought of him the more he wanted to know about him. "...Marco..." Eren found himself whispering in the dark and cold room. The name brought a tiny smile to his tired lips. And the name also brought a clench of Armin's fists despite the painful discoloration, eyes open and fixated on the dark door in front of them.

xxx

" _Levi_!" Hanji's shrieks sounded, piercing Levi's ears. The grenade was loud, he'd give it that. He had blocked the window with the bed and gotten a shard of the window frame lodged in his side from the heavy blast. Now, he was pissed off. And making his way dangerously close to his limit's end when Hanij's screams had gone silent some time ago.

He had made his way down the hall, taking down four people with his trusty blade. It appeared someone else had gotten the others for him. He was too mad to be hateful toward them. Or was he mad enough to be grateful to them? Who knew what he would do if he reached his boiling point. And he was pretty damn close.

He finally reached Hanji's room, slamming the door open with no hesitation. Just the thought of how the fuckers found them made him pissed. His dark eyes scanned the room before falling on Hanji, the brunette's pale form laying slouched beside the bed with a pool of blood under their bottom from their neck.

Their arms were pulled tight behind them, bound with what looked like piano wire but was unlikely. It was the sight of Hanji's torn now red shirt and missing pants that made Levi quicken his pace and hurry over.

"Hanji!" He barked, kneeling beside the brunette's form and grabbing their chin, slapping their cheeks with his other hand. They sat motionless, the only movement coming from Levi's attempt of making them move _them-self_. "Hanji, wake up!" Levi growled deeply, using his knife to slice the wire before reaching his hands under the brunette's scarred armpits and moving them to lay on the floor completely on their back.

"Come on!" He placed to fingers to their neck, just under where the bullet exited to feel for a pulse. None. "Fuck!" With no hesitation Levi tore Hanji's shirt open the rest, placing a hand over the other and entwining his fingers before pushing his palm against the brunette's chest.

"One-" He counted, giving small huffs from the quick and hard movements. "Twenty-" He moved a hand to the motionless brunette's chin, tilting their head up before placing his lips to theirs and blowing his air into them in one quick burst.

He kept a steady order of that, pumping and blowing before he heard Hanij take in a quick gasp of their own. Levi huffed a great sigh of relief and brushed sweaty black strands of hair from his forehead. "Great... Great." He murmured to himself, Hanji staying unconscious but giving slow breaths. "You're doing great." Levi whispered before grabbing a messy sheet from the bed, throwing it over Hanji's nude bottom form and hooking his arms under them. He stood and turned, going to make his way for the basement.

Sally could handle the rest. If not, Erwin could. Just one phone call and the man would be there in a second. Besides. That's the only one Levi could count on at the moment.

"Yeager, open the door!" Eren jumped up from where he sat in the closet, cursing under his breath at the throbbing pain that spread through his knee. "Y-yeah!" He opened the closet door, using the walls for support while he made his way to the basement door. After unbolting the lock, he didn't even get a chance to turn the knob before it burst open, Levi entering the room with a pale and bloody mess that he noted was Hanji.

"Back wall, slide the table over here now! Lock the damn door, too!" Levi ordered, Eren nodding and limping horribly to get the table without hesitation. Once sliding the old and what appeared to be an operating table over, Eren slid past Levi and bolted the door, Armin sitting in the closet and watching with no emotion- numb to it all. "Okay Hanji, you're okay." Eren watched Levi frantically rummaging through a small box that sat atop a small shelf built into the side of the table-top. He cursed quietly and pulled his gloves off, dropping them on the floor beside him before grabbing a small bottle of alcohol from the box.

The more Eren studied Levi's face, the more the man seemed... human. His brows were brought together and his pale fingers trembled. His eyes seemed glazed over and they were wide... god, those wide grey eyes. Eren had never seen someone look so... scared?

Levi threw the bottle to his side after using it on the wound, Hanji showing no signs of pain or awareness; eyes closed and lips pale and opened slightly, jagged and wheezed breaths being taken in slowly.

Eren licked his lips and put a hand to his neck, eyes looking to Levi's wavering ones. "C-can I help? Do you need hel-" "Gauze pads, now!" Levi barked and Eren didn't jump or falter, the teen immediately making his way to the box and searching for the pads.

Levi took in deep and steady breaths, calming himself and making his shaky hands steady for what was to come. "Eren, hold a pad tight to the left side of her neck. _Tight_ on the wound." Levi ordered calmly, Eren obeying but with small confusion. Her? Then again, those men earlier were yelling for a woman to be bound. But was that not the blonde woman he saw? Wait, who was that woman anyway? She wasn't wearing a uniform or- "Eren!" Eren blinked and nodded, applying more pressure to the wound with a gauze pad while Levi inserted a needle into the wound that was on the right side of Hanji's neck.

Exit and entry wounds.

At least he wouldn't have to fish for a bullet. He slid the fishing wire like thread into the wound, keeping a smooth rhythm with the large and curved needle he held. Eren swallowed dryly when the blood from the entry wound started seeping through the pad, coating his fingers in a warmth wetness. Levi soon grabbed another gauze pad, sticking it to the closed wound and using bandage tape to make it stay before pushing Eren aside, the teen moving gladly, and applying stitches to the affected area. Once done, the man had Eren hold Hanji's head up a few centimeters, grabbing gauze wrap and wrapping it around the unconscious brunette's neck to keep the pads in place. He sighed heavily and wiped a hand over his forehead, brushing strands of hair out of the way.

Eren glanced to Levi before looking to Armin, the blonde sitting silently in the closet and watching the scene. He hoped to see pride in those blue eyes, the eyes that he always saw secretly praising him. He had done good, right? He had kept someone alive. But instead, he caught something deeper in those pale eyes, Armin looking away before he could pin just what it was he had seen. Levi glanced to Eren briefly before looking back to Hanji's wheezing form, turning to Eren once he fully realized the teen was there.

"Hey." Eren looked to the man and the noirette motioned off to a corner. "Go on in there and grab a pair of pants for Hanji." Eren blinked at this and glanced to Hanji's blanketed bottom half before making his aching way to the corner and to the bloody and stale pants that rested there. They had to have been another person's. A dead person. He picked them up and headed back to the man before registering something and looking to Hanji's torso.

The brunette's shirt was torn open, buttons popped off and the red stained top lay draped to the sides. Teal eyes looked over the body, catching sight of deep scars that made himself feel in pain. His eyes lowered while they scanned the rest of the torso, examining just how skinny this person was.

Hip bones jutting outward, ribs well defined from the thin layer of skin that covered them. The teen was pulled back into the moment when the pants were ripped from his hand, his eyes looking to Levi and the teen cringing at the cold stare the noirette held. "What are you doing?" Eren almost stuttered trying to find his words and decided to not even try denying anything. Levi dismissed the teen and grabbed the sheet, pulling it up and tossing it over Eren's head.

Eren pulled the sheet off a bit and looked to Levi, watching the man quickly putting the pants on the brunette. The teen's eyes went back to Hanji's torso and he furrowed his brows at the scarred and flat chest before moving his eyes all the way to Hanji's bottom half, eyes widening when they caught a very feminine sight. "Ow!" He exclaimed when he suffered a blow to the side of the head, looking and cringing when he saw Levi glaring at him. "What are you, a pervert? Go and get your retard friend out of the fucking closet." He growled and shoved the brunette, the teen catching himself and going to Armin, pulling the blonde up with his bitten arm.

Armin's air hitched and he cried out, falling against Eren when his legs bucked. Eren stumbled and settled for leaning against the doorway for support, huffing and wrapping his arms around Armin's waist to hold the teen in fear of him falling and getting hurt. Armin on the other hand leaned close to Eren, hands gripping the teen's chest tight and face brought close to the brunette's neck from height difference. He didn't hesitate on stealing a close embrace from his companion, pressing close against the brunette and pulling in the scent of lemons and spice before frowning to himself when Eren decided to finish the walk, pushing off from the door frame and helping Armin to the blood stained and worn chair that had either held Bertoldt or the friend he had spoken of, Reiner.

Levi had long finished getting Hanji dressed before making his way to a corner, pulling out a cell phone and dialing Erwin's number from memory. "Erwin, they've found us. Hanji's been shot." He stated, Eren watching the man talk and Armin watching Eren mess with his shirt's bottom hem.

"Right. We're in the basement. Sally's upstairs, I don't know if he's alive. There's probably ten shooters, some inside." Levi stayed silent a moment before looking to Eren.

"Did they hesitate on trying to kill you?" He put the phone to his chest, Eren letting his eyes fall to the floor. The answer was no. And that made his stomach hurt. They didn't need them alive. Levi put the phone back to his ear.

"No. Great. We'll be waiting." He closed the phone before dropping it on the cement floor and stomping his foot over it, the metal and wires being crushed apart from one another.

"We stay here until Erwin gets here. Take a seat and don't move. It won't take long until he helps us out." The man stated, Eren taking a seat and sighing deeply while putting a hand over his aching knee. Armin had set his mind on something and sat in pure silence, eyes moving to Hanji. Hans Smith had brown hair and glasses. So did this _Hanji_ fellow. And Erwin? Well, how often did you hear that name? He grit his teeth.

Was he really that naive? To believe that they were really cops? Hell, one was here working with a mad man! If he could walk, he would be tearing that fake brunette's throat out right now. And Erwin Smith? The thought of that man made him clench a fist until his discolored fingers throbbed. He wasn't an idiot. And he would _not_ be made a fool of.


	9. Chapter Nine: We Met Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Nine consists of three oneshots focused on Hanji and Levi's past; a main focus on Hanji's androgyny.   
> Chapter nine ended up like this because fans from Fanfiction.net were wanting to know the pasts of the two, and the reasons as to why they are oneshots is because my laptop had crashed with a small amount of the fic saved and I was too frustrated and readers had ben waiting too long so I just decided to do this a fast way- with oneshots.

Chapter Nine

Day -

Hanji pulled the left sleeve of her jacket up, bringing the brown coat to rest on her shoulders. Fully clothed and hair up in a neat ponytail, she opened the front door of the apartment complex and headed outside, smiling to herself at the smell of afternoon air rushing through green trees; to the smell of vehicle exhaust being coughed out of the racing machines; to the city air that she had lived most of her life in and hoped to live the rest of her life in. Where would the world be without technology?

She hummed to herself and walked to her vehicle. Erwin had called her earlier that morning and stated a new arrangement.

New employer. New partner. New job. Sounded pretty easy to her. And it sure as hell beat sitting around and doing nothing.

The car's lock clicked and the brunette pulled the door open, flopping into the driver's seat. 401 West Blv. was where she would meet her new partner. Moblit was long gone since last November and as sad as it was, you just can't dwell on the past.

The engine sputtered for a second before coming to life, Hanji resting her foot on the gas after switching the stick to drive and made for the drive to the place. It wasn't too long of a drive, just enough to let her admire her surroundings.

She slowed to a stop when a street sign caught her eye. She was at the place.

Erwin was standing outside, a professional grin on his face that made her smile. Parking the car, she got out and walked to the man, saluting out of self respect before peeking around the man to the building behind him. "Where's my partner? Didn't you say he was waiting?" Hanji looked to Erwin and the man gave a nod, turning to face the cement building. "Yes, he is here. It was preferred for him to stay inside, we... didn't want him getting uncomfortable." The man stated, Hanji querking a brow to the blonde. "Shy?" "Well, it's more like- ...Yeah." Erwin's face drooped at the failed defense and Hanji laughed before making her way to the building's fading blue door. "Well, I hope he didn't wait too long, I just hate missing my coffee breaks!" The woman exclaimed whiled Erwin moved to hold the door open for her.

"It's quite alright, I assure you. I will speak more of the case when we're all inside, hm?" Hanji nodded and the two entered the building. The smell of dust was intoxicating and there were boxes and old wool sacks scattered about. The light shining through the small windows showed small particles and dirt floating about.

The brunette pushed up her glasses and looked around the seemingly empty room. Her eyes finally found the man that would soon be her new partner. Near a corner stood a man with black hair. Hanji looked the man over closely, examining him. His arms were crossed at the chest, back stiff and hands gloved. He was uncomfortable.

"Hanji, that's Levi. Levi, Hanji." Erwin's strong voice rang out and Hanji looked to the big man, smiling to him and looking back to Levi. The man's naturally narrowed eyes looked to the woman and only seemed to squint more when she approached.

"Nice to meet you." He studied the brunette's face and body. The thought to shake his hand came to Hanji, but the thought not to also did. The woman bowed, grinning to the man when she regained herself. A grey eye twitched and Levi looked to Erwin when the man cleared his throat. "Attention, please." His voice rumbled and Hanji spun to face the man, hair bouncing and Levi flinching away at the strands that came too close.

"It should be a fast assignment." Erwin stated, Hanji making her way to the man and Levi watching from where he stood as the blonde pulled open his suitcase, resting it on a crate. He pulled out a map, quickly unfolding it and laying it out atop the leather case. "Here. He's an old priest." Erwin pointed to a spot and Hanji bent over to look closer with her bubbly being. Levi headed over to look down at the paper.

"So, just what are we to do with him?" Hanji bounced back up straight, Levi's eyes glancing to her in caution.

Erwin stood straight, examining the whole map. "Well, the employer, to whom I know very well, has reason to believe that this man here, mister..." He reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a slim of paper. "Chaplin. Our employer believes that in Chaplin's time as a priest, he was also a child molester." The man nodded to his own words, Levi looking to the map to memorize its buildup. "So we kill him." Hanji looked to Erwin, the man giving a nod while placing the paper away.

"Erwin." Erwin looked to the noirette when Levi said his name. "Yes?" "Do you believe this as well?" The noirette looked to Erwin and they made eye contact.

Erwin huffed and went to close his case. "There have been twenty child abductions within a ten mile radius and just a decade. Chaplin was a top suspect." The man pulled his suitcase to his side, Hanji watching him while messing with her neat hairdoe.

"He retired after nearly ten years of his moving to this city. Thirteen of the mising children can be linked back to his old church. Five have been found dead in a sewage grate outside of town- a few miles from his home. And there have been four reports of sexual assault by Mister Chaplin by minors with physical evidence of abuse. So yes, I do think he is guilty. And as an officer, I can say that for the offences of kidnap, child molestation, and the rape and murder of a minor, the charge is death."

"So it's a murder contract." Levi chimed in, Erwin nodding again.

"Get in, make it look like a suicide, get out. Simple." Hanji hummed to herself while rocking back and Levi motioned to her. "Why a partner?" Erwin huffed a laughed and Hanji stopped rocking, looking to the noirette.

"Because I can eliminate all evidence of us ever being there." Her words echoed and Levi kept his eyes on her. There was something about her. Something not right. But he couldn't pin his finger on it, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to.

"Okay!" Hanji clapped, flashing a grin. "Let's get aquanted, Mister Mysophobia."


	10. Chapter Nine: Part Two

Chapter Nine

Day –

"This is my bedroom, and that's the kitchen." Levi listened, eyes taking in the sight of a messy bedroom. A bedroom. That was it. In the corner was a small, a very small counter and a plug in burner top. She had already shown him the bathroom to which was as small as a kid's bedroom closet. Judging from the 'kitchen' not having a sink, she probably used the bathroom's. Which was all but more than an appalling thought.

"This has nothing to do with planning for the job." Levi finally grumbled, Hanji twirling to face him from where she stood at the foot of her bed, playing with the messy bedding. "Yeah, but Erwin said for us to get acquainted with one another first so… Yeah…" She grinned and Levi pulled out a cigarette carton, slipping out a stick and lighting it in his mouth.

Hanji watched him, motioning to him and sitting perched on her bed. "So, what do you do outside of this kind of work? It's probably not in your code to tell, but I'm a scientist." She grinned at her own success, ignoring the careless huff that came from Levi, along with a cloud of smoke. She watched him glance around, his lips pursing and eyes narrowing in thought. He took another drag from his cigarette and looked to the brunette, the woman giving a grin to mask her observation.

"Nothing. Since I know where you live and can track you down if you give out any information, I guess I can tell you just a bit." He watched her bounce a bit on the bed in joy and rolled his eyes, looking to a curtained window. "I make dishes." Silence followed and he looked back to Hanji, the woman furrowing her brows and tilting her head. "Like, dish sets?" Levi shook his head with a scoff and dropped the cigarette onto the carpeted floor, snuffing it out with his boot.

"Like, tea sets. Made from scratch and hand drawn. An old idea someone had." Hanji 'oh'd' and leaned back, crossing her legs and putting her hands on her knee. "That sounds nice. Are they pretty?" Levi scoffed and looked down at her. "Why would I make ugly porcelain?" Hanji shrugged and laughed, rocking forward to put her chest against her legs; wrapping her arms around them to look at Levi. "So, what else do you do? I work on modifications and skin grafts for war veterans." She smiled softly and Levi moved backwards to lean against a wall.

"Why? Shouldn't you get a high pay? Your apartment is shit." He stated, brows brought together in question. Hanji shrugged and moved a hand back to play with her hair.

"I like the lab equipment. Making things. It's fun. I do get a lot of money. I'm just saving it." She shrugged again and Levi gave a nod of little understanding.

"I don't do much outside of this work. I make authentic dish sets and-" Levi's pager beeped before he could add on and he pushed off the wall. "That's Erwin. Time to go." He looked to Hanji while heading for the door, watching her get up. "Remember the plan?" Hanji raised a brow and made her way to him. "I think you underestimate me, Mr. Mysophobia." She headed past, leaving to the hallway and spinning to look back at him, ponytail bouncing. "I always remember." With that said, she hopped forward, skipping down the hall with cracked and busted walls.

Just who was this Hanji person? He felt the need to search her up. But then again, he wouldn't find anything. That was just why Erwin teamed them together.

The noirette walked after her, gloved hands in his pockets while he gave a huff. It was just about dinner time. Meaning that they'd probably get to the destination during the priest's eating. Most likely in the dining room. This would be a quick and easy case. Make it look like a suicide, get out, go and eat. Get paid in the morning. Sounded good to him.

Hanji ran to the car, hopping in the passenger seat and sitting back. Levi had a nice car. She hummed to herself, moving a hand to pull open the glove box and look inside. Titles, bills, a couple pairs of black leather gloves. Tidy, but not in her interest. She shut the door, looking to the driver's seat and reaching up to pull down the visor.

There. A photo taped to the inside of the visor with Levi, a beautiful strawberry blonde, and a small, small child. She smiled. A tea set crafter. Sounded homey enough. A lovely little family. There was a reason why he was so secretive.

Make yourself look cold and calculating and make yourself sound alone, no one would suspect you and attack what you hold most dear. She flipped the visor back up, sitting back and looking out the windshield window. This was a good day. Levi finally made his way to the car, getting in and turning the key in the ignition; cigarette in his mouth.

"Ready?" He looked to Hanji, the woman giving a toothy grin. The noirette male rolled his eyes and looked to the road, putting the car in Drive and pulling out of the small parking lot, Hanji unrolling her window and sticking her head out to give a loud and long "Yahoo!", Levi glancing at her with a shake of his head and a puff of his cancer stick.


	11. Chapter Nine: Part Three; I Saw the Devil

**Chapter Nine: Part Three**

**Day—**

 

Thirty two cases together- twenty nine successful. Fifteen nights together at Hanji's house and twelve nights together in hotels. The other five, Hanji stayed at her own place, while Levi stayed at his home with his wife and son. And now, Hanji lay bound to a cold metal table alone.

She moved her head to look to the left, neck giving out and her head banging against the tin underneath her, a low and scratchy groan exiting her throat.

The metallic taste in her mouth was overwhelming and she coughed, sputtering the red onto her chin. Her eyes rolled to look around the room. _I'm not ready to die. I shouldn't have taken this job. I want to go home._ A stray tear rolled down her cheek and she uttered a sob. She was in pain. Her stomach hurt. It was anxiety, she knew, but it still made her cry.

All of this was wrong.

The room was warped around her. The lightbulb above her was hot. Her skin burned… She was boiling- she could  _feel_ it. Her blood bubbled, seeping through her glans but there was nothing she could do. There was no one to help her.

"Yo _u'r_ e _a_ wa _ke_." The voice was warped and distorted and the bound woman gave a loud and cracked wail of frustration. She shook her head, pulling her arms and feet to try and free them from what restrained her. "Get away from me!" Her words were slurred and her cheeks tingled. She knew it wasn't rational. It wasn't real. _This can't be real.._

Something tugged at her cheeks and she pulled her head back, hitting it against the table. Something crawled against her stomach, inching upward.

" _I s_ ee th _e_ _drug has_ k _i_ c _ke_ d _i_ n, has _it_?" The voice trailed over her face, sinking into her ears and scratching her eardrums, making her gag and take in hitched gasps of air. She could feel her cheeks tearing, more hot tears scorching her cheeks while they trailed down. She sobbed and writhed on the table, jaw cracking while her cheeks slowly ripped themselves open, her blood trickling and spurting down her face and onto her bare chest.

The small legs that crawled over her crawled to her neck, small teeth sinking into her flesh. Centipede. She screamed and wailed, eyes leaking hot blood instead of tears. _This isn't real- itisntreadlitisntrealnotrealnotreal- CANT BE REAL_. "W _oul_ d _yo_ u _tell_ me _wh_ o sent you in my _direction_?" The voice was whispered and Hanji looked frantically to the man that stood beside her- _the Devil_.

She shook her head and retched violently, moving her head to the side and puking, shaky eyes looking at the vomit and causing her to scramble away, trying to remove herself from _everything_ at the sight of maggots. Maggots. _In my skin_.

"O _r wou_ ld you li _ke me_ to **_rid you of your soul_**?" Hanji took in ragged breaths, looking back to the _man_. _This isn't rational_. "W _el_ l, if yo _u don'_ t _mi_ nd, I am g _o_ i _ng_ _to s_ tar _t with_ the operation. You may **_scream_** if you want to." Hanji cried, the feeling of maggots crawling in and out of her gaping cheeks making her want to claw them out. Making her _need_ to.

The Devil reached for her, raking his claws under her right breast, making her skin gape open; his hand slipping under the skin and pulling at the tissue and fat that rest there.

_NotrealnotrealnotrealowowowowowowowowHELPhelpmehelp…_

 

Her lips were dry, the fire that took them over dying down hours ago and leaving charred and red stinging flesh in its place. Her eyes were swollen, barely able to be kept open. She swallowed hard, trying to wet her burning throat but instead she got the feeling of the maggots crawling down.

She looked down at herself, looking with tired and sore eyes to her flattened chest, the thin skin that covered her torso was red, sore and stained by her fiery blood. She gave a quiet, tired sob, burning eyes too hot to spare anymore tears.

Her butt hurt, the spikey rock she sat atop held her in place. _I'm in Hell_. She lifted her boney arms to her face, fingerless hands touching the holes in her cheeks that kept her jaw hanging open.

Her tongue rolled out of her mouth and she whimpered, grasping at the muscle with her nubby hands when it splatted onto the burning floor, the hot rocky ground making it sizzle. The Devil was gone now. He took the skin under her arms and left. No, he ate them. _He ate my skin_.

Hanji slowly moved her palms to touch her skinless sides, her stomach moving in and out in rhythm with her wheezed breathing. She gave another little sob, moving her arms to place her nubbed hands between her clawed and bloody thighs, placing them in her lap to keep them warm.

_"_ _Hanji._ " Her ears twitched and she turned her head to the side where the voice sounded, eyes staying on the floor.

Her name was whispered again and her eyes slid up from the bloody and scorching ground, finding a man in a suit, black hair and paper white skin holding her hazy gaze. The man made his way to her, kneeling down beside her and slipping an arm around her back, slipping the other underneath her thighs. Hanji silently put an arm around the man's neck, arm clenching tight around him because her fingers weren't there to help her hold him.

Levi lifted her up off of the cold tiled floor, holding her freezing and shivering body tight to him while he turned towards the door to which he came. It took him three days to finally find her. Two minutes to put five stab wounds in her captor's face and skull.

"You're okay now." He whispered to the shaky woman, exiting the lab room with her and leading her to the outside of the house. "What did he do to you?" He asked her quietly, looking to her brown eyes that stared off, fresh and dried tears and drool leaked down her face, staining her bloody skin.

He placed her in the back of the car, taking off his suit's jacket and draping it over her, eyes spotting the crusty blood that filled her inner thighs. He clenched his jaw and moved to sit in the driver's seat. "Never should have let her go alone…" He muttered, slowly driving away from the house, trying his best to keep from moving the wounded too much.

Hanji stared at the man from where he sat, watching his face through the review mirror of the car. She watched his lips, using them to tell just what he was whispering to himself. " _I'm sorry._ "

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, sitting next to Hanji's body from where they lay on the operating table, Eren and Armin sitting in a corner of the basement. Hanji stirred in their sleep, eyelids fluttering and mouth twitching. Levi held their hand, thumb running over their pale hand as a way of comfort. "I'm sorry." He murmured again, looking to Hanji's face which held a pained expression. He wondered just what sort of nightmare she was having. Whatever it was, he was just relieved she was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know that people are born gay, bi, pan, androgynous, trans, nonbinary and others, so before you start flagging me hold on.
> 
> The Hanji in this fic has always had gender identity issues, and let me just say that throughout their life they struggled between which gender they really 'felt' they were and after the event in the man's lab, Hanji finally got some sense of what they feel they should be and after the surgery gained the confidence to stop going by 'she/her' pronouns and to instead go by 'they/them'. Levi accepted this transition but still has some slip-ups. If you didn't understand just what I was saying, it's fine to just ask me and I'll get back to you.


	12. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

**Day 5**

"Armin." Eren nudged the teen, the blonde's blue eyes staring bitterly at the old wall in front of them, arms crossed over his chest and legs bent in front of him. He didn't reply. "Armin." Eren whispered again, not wanting to wake the noirette man that sat beside Hanji's form, head on the bed while he breathed softly, cold eyes closed and face troubled in his sleep. Tending to the teens and then himself had worn him down. Erwin was due to arrive hours ago but fell short, running late. Sally had stopped making noise and the complete upstairs was silent, leaving no sound of footsteps of guns. They were alone, Eren had finally concluded. Erwin was due hours ago, hopefully just running late.

They had been down there since mid yesterday to early today; Tuesday. Eren was hungry. But when wasn't he hungry? He had been kidnapped and tortured and only fed probably three times over the course of five days. That meant that Armin was probably also hungry.

"Armin, h-" "What?" Armin snapped, turning his head to look at Eren straight on, the brunette blinking and flushing, Suddenly, Eren wanted to shrink. He gave a little shrug and opened his mouth to talk, a little nervous noise coming out instead. Armin sighed and sank down against the wall, face softening. "What, Eren?" He was quiet, his voice soft and Eren let out a breath of relief. "I-I was just wanting to see if you were mad." Eren whispered, looking down at Armin where the teen sat slouched beside him. "Eren." He looked up to Eren, the brunette giving a nod in 'go on'. "I have a hole in my face and I can't _fucking_ walk." Armin kept his voice low despite his need to scream. He grit his teeth, looking back to the wall. Eren cleared his throat. "They said it's only temporary, maybe later today-" "I've been looking for you for _days_ , Eren, and you're in this big fancy house with two psychopaths who", Armin threw out an arm, motioning to Eren's blood caked bandaging over his knee, "broke your leg and beat you up- and now you're _friends_ with them? What is wrong with you?" Armin glanced back to Eren, the brunette getting a brief glimpse of tears in those cold eyes before they averted themselves.

Eren was at a still of words. He struggled to say something, _anything_ , but only managed to utter a tiny 'I'm sorry'. The rage and frustration boiling in Armin finally reached its point and Armin burst into a hysteric of sobs. He wanted to go home. He was hurting. This whole _thing_ was hurting. Arms wrapped around him and he lifted his own to hold them. He leaned against Eren, the brunette holding the teen close in a tight embrace; not realizing until now just how thin Armin's body was pressed to his own. Eren whispered another apology, placing his chin on Armin's soft head and just noticing he probably had a bruise there. The wetness of Armin's tears was cold on Eren's throat from where the blonde hid his face and he sighed deeply.

This was wrong. Everything up 'till now hadn't made any sense. He had threatened, kidnapped, and tortured but still somehow, deep in the back of his mind… He had accepted it. Hanji and Levi, two mysterious hitmen, were only doing this because they had to. But now, sitting here and comforting Armin, he saw where he misplaced his judgement. They were doing this for money. Even though they were in a fancy house like this, they still wanted more. They didn't _have_ to ruin his life-his future. They just did it because they wanted to. Eren closed his eyes, a headache settling in. He didn't want to think right now. "Yeager." The stern yet calm voice served to be Levi's and the brunette looked to the man, the noirette sitting upright and looking at the two teens.

"Can you walk?" Armin took in a long breath, wiping his face with the butt of his palm and moving away from Eren; eyes on the floor. Eren gave a quiet cough and slowly slid up the wall, standing and giving a small nod.

"Why?" His large teal eyes found Levi's and the man stood from the chair. "Come." His eyes darted to Armin and he pointed a gloved finger, having put the leather back on who knows when. "Stay there until we get back. Got it?" Armin grit his teeth and looked up at the noirette, arms wrapped around himself and hands clutching his shirt's sides. Levi took that as an acceptable answer and headed for the stairs, beckoning Eren to follow. The teen limped after, a hitched intake of air at the first step making Levi look back at him, the brunette shaking his head. "I-I'm fine, really." Levi's eyes looked up and down Eren's beaten and shaky form and he fidgeted with his hand to his side.

"Good." He averted his gaze, stalking up the stairs with Eren struggling to keep up, managing not to fall too far behind. "Where are we going?" Eren looked to Levi, the man paused at the top of the stairs and peeking out of the door. He put a finger to his lips and Eren looked down, blinking with a nod. Levi fully stepped out from the door, eyes scanning the disarray of blood and broken glass that took up the once beautiful living room beyond.

"They're gone." Eren looked at Levi. "What does that mean? Are we safe?" Levi moved quickly across the ruined floor, not sparing Eren a single glance. "We need to talk. But first, we need to leave." Eren hurried after Levi, his knee rolling and bucking from underneath him. "Ow!" He braced himself against the wall, leaning over to rub his leg with a whimper. "You're going too fast!" He looked to Levi, the man stopping and turning to him at his exclamation.

The man huffed from his nose and made his way back to the teen, grabbing his arm and pulling it over his shoulders. "If you can't walk on your own through a petty knee injury, we're hopeless." He grumbled under his breath and headed off again, Eren leaning on him heavily for support. "Eren." Levi's voice was soft after long moments of silence between the two, them finally to the front door. Eren had shut his eyes tight at seeing the first body and learned to look away at all of the rest. He looked to Levi, the man's gaze not on him but on the door. "We aren't going to kill you or your friend." Eren blinked and stared at the man, his jaw visibly clenching and unclenching.

"We are going to hunt down the client and kill him in your stead." Eren swallowed hard and glanced around, looking back to the man. "W-who's 'we'?" Levi's grey eyes finally looked to Eren and it then hit the teen. He wasn't the only one suffering. Levi's eyes were full of hatred and determination, lids lined with pink and hair messy from sweat from the night before. His face was pale, sickly pale and clammy, lips chapped with little blotches of dried blood. "Your friend is here to help us piece some things together. You're here because-" There was a clatter and Eren could feel the tops of his ears burning when Levi's grip around him tightened from its loose but comfortable hold.

"What is it?" Eren looked to Levi with a tiny whisper and he hushed him, looking around. He couldn't lie. He was incredibly on edge. His heart pounded hard against his chest and he would honestly be inwardly embarrassed if this idiot teen could feel it. A loud bark erupted and Levi choked on an exhale, Eren looking to the man when his body softened from being stiff and on guard. He had no gun. His trusty blade? In the basement. Since when had he grown so fucking careless?

Eren gave a small laugh and pointed a finger. "Sally." Levi followed his gesture and sure enough, there really was the damn mutt; grinning with his tongue hanging out he shook his body, fur shaking off flakes of dried blood. It eased Levi knowing that Sally only had a few minor cuts and grazes-few still bleeding. "Sally, go to the basement." Levi pointed in the direction and Sally ran off, tongue out and panting. Eren looked to Levi in question and the man opened the front door, leading Eren outside. "He can open doors. Learned to when Hanji forgot to feed him for a week." Eren blinked and looked back at the man but didn't press, looking at the cold and dry night around them.

"What are we doing?" He grit his teeth to hold back any sounds when he and Levi headed down the porch steps, knee not wanting to straighten. They made it to a van similar to the one they had first brought Eren in and Levi opened the back door, eyeing the space down before going ahead and helping Eren in. He met eyes with Eren, the teen watching him the whole time, and grabbed the door, ready to shut it. "We're going to Erwin's. I'm going to pull the van up to the tunnel and get Hanji and your friend. You stay back here and lay down." Eren nodded at the sternness of Levi's tone and flinched when the door shut, the teen being left in darkness. He gave a shaky exhale and lay down, head bumping a tool of some sort and making him wiggle away.

Levi got into the front, starting the van and driving a few yards into the trees, getting out after turning the van back off. He went back to the van, peeking in and grabbing a small flashlight before leaving again. Turning it on, he stomped on different parts of the ground until he hit something hollow. Bingo. He knelt with a small grunt, limbs tired and stiff. He swept away the mud and mush that gathered in that spot until he found the small wooden door he was looking for. The noirette climbed down the creaky ladder, rubbing his eyes with the back of his forearm. He sighed deeply and started walking down the narrow pathway, boots inaudible against the muddy ground beneath him.

Hanji came first, Eren saw when Levi put Hanji in the back with him, gently but quickly. "Watch 'em." The man's voice was low, guttural and Eren nodded, staying close to the brunette. Sally came next, on his own and jumping into the back with Eren and Hanji, Eren reaching over and closing the door after. The dog licked Eren's face and the teen pushed at him. He was tired or else he would be giving Sally some love in return. But now, Sally just reminded him of Brownie… of his dad. It had been almost a week now, he thought. So why wasn't his dad looking for him? He shook his head. Maybe he was. He hadn't seen the news since he had been here. Maybe there were SWAT teams and helicopters looking for him. He closed his eyes. He hadn't seen Erwin. He was probably just as ruthless as Levi. Maybe just as crazy as Hanji.

Armin was carried and placed in the passenger's seat. He looked back to Eren, the brunette watching him. What could he say? Nothing would help this situation. The door shut, turning off the light that let the teen's share that glance. Levi got in the driver's seat, the brief light letting Eren know that Armin now was staring off at the windshield. The van started and Eren sighed, looking down. Closing his eyes or not, there was no difference. It was all black anyway.

Half an hour of driving passed and Levi glanced at Armin, the blonde grinding his teeth and fidgeting with his fingers. The bandage on his cheek had blood seeping to the other side and there was a sickly yellow bruise on his jawline. "Hey." Armin sat silently for a moment before uttering a bitter "What". "You aren't going to die, lighten up." Levi looked back to the road, Armin looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Like someone of your stature could really be sure of that." The teen scoffed and looked back to the road, patchy discolored fingers aching in his lap.

Levi squinted at the blonde before shaking his head and making a turn. "You could be dead. That's a thing. And we could kill you. That's another thing. So you should be happy that we don't plan on either of those. Getting banged up? Yeah, that's not that bad." Levi glanced back to Armin, the teen's eyes rolling to look to the noirette. "Be grateful that you're retarded." Armin was about to pull the door handle and roll out and away from this bullshit but froze his actions when a large and beautiful house came into view. They were there.

Levi parked the van and got out, making his way to the front door. He just wanted to sleep. But this predicament these kids put them in? He'd kill them if he wasn't used to days of staying up and awake. "Erwin!" He knocked hard on the door's glass, knowing he didn't have to, but he wanted to. The door opened after a moment, a shadow appearing beyond the curtain and pulling open the wood. Erwin didn't smile. "Hanji." Levi pointed to the van. "They're sleeping in the back. The Yeager kid's with 'em, Sally too. Arlert is in the front." Levi watched Erwin's brows come together in worry and the man rubbed his forehead. Seeing Erwin Smith in any kind of distress made Levi feel uneasy. Especially if it was because of him.

"Can any of them walk?" Erwin finally spoke and Levi swallowed, crossing his arms. "Barely. Sally can." Erwin shook his head with a deep sigh and motioned. "Go inside and take a seat, I'll bring the rest in." Levi nodded and squeezed past the man, making his way to the living room. This was his fault. He and Hanji never felt comfortable doing kid jobs, so why do this one? He moved to a chair, sitting back and running a hand through his hair. This was bad. Terrible. He might as well just tell Hanji to up the pills because that's basically what's going to happen at the end of this case. He sighed deeply. A code for some kind of illegal operation to intensify the strength of humans.

He groaned and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his face in his gloved hands. What kind of shit did he get them all into? And Grisha Yeager? He has to know something. The code was found in his _own_ house for Christ's sake. "Levi." Levi snapped awake, jumping back and looking to Erwin.

He huffed and rubbed his face. "How long were you out?" Levi shook his head with a scoff. "I didn't even know." He looked to the blonde and sat straight. "Where are they all?" Erwin moved to sit in his favorite chair. "Hanji and Eren are asleep upstairs. Sally's eating in the kitchen and Armin Arlert is," Erwin pointed to a lone chair, Armin sitting with his hands in his lap, staring down at them while they clutched his shirt. Levi furrowed his brows and looked to Erwin. "What happened to him?" Erwin sighed and stood from his seat. "I sedated him earlier. He's good enough to talk to though." He stated before leaving to the kitchen, returning with a tray of drinks.

"Here, tea." Erwin placed the tray on the coffee table and sat back in his seat, glancing to Levi. "I think it's time to figure everything out." Levi nodded with an exasperated sigh and looked to Armin. "Kid." Armin looked to the two men, eyes holding a slight fog. Levi looked back to Erwin and the man reached under the table, pulling out some files and flopping them onto the table. "Alright. Let's start." He grabbed a cup from the tray, sipping some coffee from it before speaking. "I did some research on Grisha Yeager." Armin crossed his arms softly and sat back, Levi grabbing a cup to drink. He'd rather have scotch, but this would do. Or a cigarette.

"Wife died about eight years ago." Erwin stated while opening the file, Armin giving a drowsy nod. "Cancer." He mumbled, Levi glancing at him before turning to Erwin. "Really?" Erwin nodded. "But it didn't kill her. Car crash. One car on its way home. Swerved and crashed into some trees." "Why?" "Unknown. No alcohol, no nothing. She just crashed. Nothing suspicious. She hadn't even taken her meds." Levi and Erwin met gazes and Levi furrowed his brows. "Suicide?" "No." Armin's voice was loud and the men looked at him. The teen shook his head. "She was happy. They were all trying to be. But she was really sick. She shouldn't even had been driving. " Armin sighed deeply and moved a hand to rub at an eye. "She died and Grisha started acting different. …Sort of withdrawn and… weird sometimes." He murmured and Erwin looked to the file.

"Well, I think whatever happened to her should be linked to this case until we prove otherwise. It shows here that Grisha's a fairly normal man. I don't see anything odd at all. Besides one thing." Erwin pointed to a section of the file. "He and some others transferred from a science lab west of here after seven months of work there. Grisha now works in a lab for technology." "How long ago?" Armin asked before Levi could and Erwin sat back in his seat. "Almost ten years ago. You said she was pretty bad off?" Erwin looked to Armin and the teen nodded again. "She shouldn't have been driving. I don't know why that case doesn't say anything about it. It's something pretty odd to me." He grumbled and rubbed his head, Levi taking a drink of his coffee. "Me too." He stated, Erwin closing the file.

"Alright, well, you two need some sleep. Levi, you can sleep in Hanji's room, but Armin has to sleep down here with me." Levi stood and made his way to the stairs, hearing Armin grumble something to himself. Erwin stood from his own seat to help Armin up, leading the blonde to a spare bedroom on the ground level and helping him to lay in bed. "There is a wheelchair there if you need it." Erwin stated, Armin giving a tired nod. He was too tired to be furious. There was just too much going on. Erwin had apologized for everything already and Armin supposed he would use this man's help while he needed it.

Erwin had left the room soon enough, lying on the couch in the living room. They still needed to know what Reiner Braun, Bertholdt Fubar, and Annie Leonhardt's role in this whole case was. They held a role, Erwin knew, but he just couldn't pin what it was. They even died for whatever it was they were withholding. There was a connection between those three teenagers and the contact. Erwin rolled to his side and closed his eyes. In the morning they would find a way to track down the contact. Then stop whatever it is they had planned. Preferably after Erwin himself got a hold of Grisha Yeager and whatever information he had been hiding so expertly for these ten years. Expertly. That was until the contact found a way in. Through Eren.


	13. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Day 6

Eren opened his eyes at the light sound of tapping against the bedroom door. He sighed heavily and sat up on his elbows, eyes tired and body sore. He'd be lying if he said his knee felt better. The incredible throbbing in his kneecap made him want to pass back out but he knew he couldn't right now. He licked his dry lips and looked to the door. "Come in!" His voice wasn't as strong as he wanted it to be but he'd settle for being able to speak at all. The light rapping at the door stopped and Eren furrowed his brows at the silence that ensued. There was something off. The room was engulfed in darkness and there was a pit of anxiety deep in Eren's gut. A light gust of air brushed against his ear and the teen took in a hitched breath, head turning in the direction and finding nothing. Nothing. The window to his left was shut. The curtains still. So still… like a painting.

Eren swallowed hard and looked back to the door, slowly moving his legs off of the bed, keeping his right knee straight to prevent any pain waves or throbs. "Levi?" He hated saying it, but Levi was the one who's been keeping him safe this far. Even after torturing him. If it wasn't Levi or that Erwin guy, then he didn't know who else it would be. He glanced where all he could see and his heart eased a bit when he found a wooden crutch. If it wasn't for him to use, he'd put it back later, but for now he was pretty sure everyone knew he couldn't walk. He couldn't really take it to that extent because Armin actually couldn't walk more than anyone right now. Eren stood from the bed, using the bed for support until reaching the crutch and taking it, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly before making his way to the door. He placed a hand on the doorknob, not realizing how cold the house really was until he could see his own breath once opening the door.

The pit in his stomach only grew more and more heavy and Eren swallowed again at this. He felt alone. "Armin!" He looked down the hall at the many doors that just seemed to multiply by the second. There was no answer. No sound. Eren glanced back into his room- The room. Eren backed away from the open bedroom door, eyes wide and heart pounding against his chest. What room? He moved a hand up to touch the cement wall that stood in the room's stead. His body cringed in itself when the light rapping sounded again, this time echoing. He couldn't pin where it was coming from. But then he saw it. Down the hallway to his right. Bertholdt. Eren's air hitched and caused only pain when he tried to breathe again.

Bertholdt looked cold. Just like he did when Eren first saw him. In the basement. "B-Bert?" Eren was shocked that he actually spoke but dismissed it, watching Bert clack his teeth together without rhythm. Eren finally made out the Morse code word of 'come' just before Bert turned a corner and disappeared down a new corridor. Eren rushed after, almost tripping over the crutch multiple times before turning the empty corner. Empty? He huffed and glanced around. Where was he? "Eren." The whisper made Eren freeze, breathing halting in his throat. He stayed like that for a whole sold minute before looking behind him where the whisper had trailed over him. "…Marco?" Marco lifted his bloody hand, placing it on Eren's cheek. His face was pained under all the blood and gore and he took in hitched breaths, Eren watching in fear. This was a dream. A nightmare. "Eren." Marco's whisper echoed and Eren shook his head, Marco's hand falling. "You aren't real."

A drop of red trailed down Marco's cheek from an eye and he shook his head lightly. "Save yourself." He leaned forward to Eren's ear, breath freezing. "From them." Eren furrowed his brows and looked back to Marco, the teen staring off behind Eren. Eren breathed deeply. "From who?" A loud screeching sound of metal erupted and Eren shut his eyes, opening them again and seeing Armin's worried face. Eren huffed and moved a hand to his face, rubbing at his eyes. "Nightmare?" Eren nodded and Armin pursed his lips, lying his head on the bed beside Eren's side from where he sat in his wheelchair. "The big guy made food." Eren peeked at Armin and the blonde pointed off to the door. "Apparently there's a dumbwaiter. The food's in it for us."

Eren moved to sit up, Armin sitting straight in his chair. "They're going to tell us more about what's going on. Our roles in it." Armin stated, blinking and quirking a brow when Eren snapped to look at him. "How did Marco die?" Armin sat back in the seat and crossed his arms, Eren watching him while waiting expectantly. "Well?" "Well what?" Armin scoffed and flopped further back into the seat. More Marco. More reasons why this was a one-sided love.

"Car crash, we both know that." Armin grumbled and Eren sighed, putting his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah. I know. But how?" Armin chewed his cheek and scowled inwardly. "I don't know Eren, it was a party. Who wouldn't have crashed that night?" He glanced up at Eren's face and the brunette frowned. "I just… feel like there could have been something more. Maybe-" "Maybe it was just his time to go." The two met gazes and Eren shook his head in frustration, lifting a hand to scratch his head in heavy thought. "No, Armin, maybe he just-" Armin huffed and moved a slender hand to take Eren's hair tangled one. Eren looked to him and Armin gave a soft expression. That's what I'm used to seeing. This is Armin. Caring. Gentle. "It's time for breakfast Eren. After we eat, then we can talk about this stuff. But until then, we are going to eat and think about the present." Armin's words were soft, almost quiet. That's right. Marco is in the past now. Eren nodded and glanced around the room. There really was a wooden crutch. Like in his dream. Armin strolled to grab it, taking it to Eren before leaving the room with him, the two making their way to the dumbwaiter Armin spoke of.

Eren looked at the small hallway of rooms while Armin grabbed the plates. A room barely open with Levi's form showing beyond the door. That was probably Hanji's room. Eren grabbed the plate that Armin offered, looking down at the nice meal. Coffee. Juice. Some eggs, bacon, and hash-browns. Kind of like the meal Hanji made Eren back at the other house. Maybe these three people were closer than Eren thought.

"Hanji should be awake later today. Most likely." Erwin looked to Levi, the noirette standing by the door. The man nodded, taking a heavy puff of a new cigarette. "Mercenaries, huh?" Levi nodded at this and Erwin gave a nod of understanding before glancing to Hanji from where he sat in the corner. Levi took another drag, exhaling deeply. "We're in some deep shit, aren't we?" Levi glanced to Erwin, the look the blonde gave him answering him clearly. Levi glanced back to Hanji, to the bruised and wheezing form that lay under a brown blanket. It hurt. Seeing Hanji like this. Hurt just as much as seeing Joey in his own last moments. Erwin gave a heavy sigh and Levi glanced at him, coming out of his dazed state. The blonde man stood from his seat and looked to Levi. "We should help the kids downstairs. Talk about all of this now." Levi nodded and took another drag, turning to leave the room with Erwin right after.

Eren and Armin had scarfed down their food without much thought, Armin a lot gracefully and now Eren's stomach hurt; but he still wanted more. The brunette looked at the seats that held Erwin and Levi, Armin sitting beside Eren in his wheelchair while the brunette sat on a couch.

Erwin cleared his throat and Eren looked from him to Levi briefly. Each man held something different. Erwin looked stern, like he had points to be made. Levi on the other hand, looked like he was ready to kill Eren. And Eren didn't know if it was because how he always looked or if it was really just because of him this time. "Eren Yeager." Eren looked to Erwin when the man spoke, his voice traveling on tall and trembling rocks. Erwin spoke when he knew he had Eren's full attention. "I've been doing a lot of research, hacking into FBI database servers, and planning since this early morning. We have reason to believe that your father has some knowledge of a secret project shut down by the government around ten years ago." Eren opened his mouth to speak but exhaled when Erwin continued. "I personally believe that whoever wants that code and your death, is hoping to finish that same project that remains unfinished up to this date."

Eren was silent and looked at Armin in question when the blonde turned to him. "There's some relation between your mom's death and this whole mess." Eren started to speak in protest but stopped when Levi finally spoke. "Eren." Levi's voice was stern and Eren looked at him like a puppy in trouble. "Whatever we have happening here is because of Grisha's role in that experiment." He watched Eren to make sure the teen understood and continued when he assumed so.

"The client is angry. This," Levi jabbed the coffee table while talking, "Is a crime of passion. Your father somehow messed up the plan and now his old buddy is trying to even out the score." "Then why take me and not him?" It hurt coming out, but it was a valid point. If his dad started this whole mess, why was he suffering while his dad was safe on a work trip? Levi sat back in his seat, lighting a cigarette and puffing it. His eyes met Eren's and Eren saw something different. Not normal for a man like him. "What hurts worse than taking someone's child away from them?" Eren blinked and faltered, leaning back into the cushions. "And to top it off," Levi flicked some ash from his cigarette into a pretty full ashtray. "You also know the code. They get to get the code from you, and they get to kill their old pal's son. Two birds and one stone." Levi shrugged and took a drag of the cancer stick, Armin furrowing his brows and looking to the two adults. "So Grisha was trying to stop the experiment? Couldn't that mean that they killed Eren's mom as a way to get to Grisha?" Eren looked at Armin. "Who killed my mom?" Armin motioned towards Erwin and Levi and shook his head. "I'll tell you later Eren."

Sally entered from the back and headed to Levi, the noirette reaching over the chair's arm to pet him. "Once Hanji is up and okay," Everyone looked to Levi from where he sat petting the grinning dog, "We're going to teach the kids to use guns." The room erupted with protests from the teens and Erwin saying something of either agreement or dis. Levi watched them all before pointing at Eren. "You." Eren sighed and looked to the man, Levi standing. "Come here." Eren stood, sparing Armin one glance before making his way after Levi on the crutch.

"What are we doing?" Levi led the teen into the backyard of the lovely house. Eren looked to Levi in question and while the man headed for a bench, sitting on the edge and taking one last long drag of the cigarette before flopping it down and snuffing it with his shoe. He looked up at Eren. "Bertholdt Fubar. Are you familiar with that name?" Eren gave a slow nod, leaning on the crutch. "The one from the basement." Levi sat back and crossed his arms. "Did he happen to share any information to you about anything?" Eren shook his head and furrowed his brows when Levi exhaled. "Why?" Levi hung his head back and closed his eyes. "Because we need all the information we can get. And your client was also Bertholdt and his friends'." Eren pursed his lips and rubbed his neck, finding a soft bruise he didn't notice before.

"What did you do with his friend Annie?" Levi peeked an eye to look at the teen. "What?" Eren gave a small shrug and adjusted to sit on the ground's green grass, straightening his hurt leg and bending his other to put his chin on his knee. "He said something about you guys taking his friend Annie somewhere. I think." Levi moved to sit forward. "We locked her up. Hanji was working on a truth serum and used her as a subject." Eren gave a small, slow nod. There it was again. Hanji, the crazy scientist you only saw on cartoons. But now he was thinking it was actually true.

"What did she look like?" The look Levi gave Eren made him cringe. "Why? Need a new nighttime fantasy?" Levi's voice was rough and Eren huffed through his nose while Levi looked over one of his gloves. Just when he thought Levi wasn't going to talk anymore about the subject, he spoke up. "Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Big fucking nose." Eren mouthed a silent 'oh' to himself. "What kind of blonde?" He looked to Levi and the man gave a blunt shrug. "Not your friend's yellow. Kinda pale." Eren gave another nod, a slow one.

Levi noticed the thoughtful look on Eren's face and pointed at him. "Why? What's wrong with your fucking face?" "I saw her." Eren's words were sudden and Levi blinked before narrowing his eyes. "What?" Eren nodded and moved to stand back up. "Yeah, back at the other house! When the gunmen were there, I saw her!" Eren pointed off and Levi stood to hit the teen over the head. "Shut your fucking mouth idiot! You want them to find us again?" The man shook his head with a scoff and Eren gave a small apology, pointing off again. "I did see her though. She killed a guy that was gonna shoot me and Armin." Levi gave Eren a bitter look and crossed his arms. "You couldn't have. We had her in a steal container in the attic." The man grumbled and Eren huffed. "Well, I saw her." He muttered under his breath and Levi pulled a gun out from the back of his pants' waist band. "Here. Drop the crutch." The man held it out, Eren looking at him with wide eyes.

Who would have guessed that this hitman, gun for hire, mercenary, would entrust a gun to one of his jobs. Eren held out a shaky hand, grabbing the gun when it stayed where Levi held it. "You and your friend are going to learn to help yourselves, because Hanji and I don't babysit." Eren gave a light nod while swallowing. He looked at the black steel in his hand, heavy and cold, before glancing back to Levi. On day one, he would have shot the man with this. His own gun. But now, finally holding it? There was no feeling of hatred or disgust in his gut. There was nothing. Levi watched Eren for a moment. He would never get to go shooting with Joey. The man cleared his throat and grabbed the crutch, tearing it away from Eren and dropping it, the teen balancing himself.

"This is the safety." Levi pointed to the small notch, flicking it to show the red dot beneath it. Eren nodded, noting to remember that, and Levi grabbed the teen's hands to position them right with the gun. "Here's how you hold it."

"How bad does it hurt?" Armin choked on a harsh inhale at the pain that shot up his knee. "Really bad." He glanced at Erwin from where the man stood helping the blonde teen to walk. Erwin nodded in understanding and let Armin sit back down, the teen breathing heavily. He looked to Erwin from where he rubbed his legs. "How long are you going to hold us?" The man took his own seat, crossing his hands in his lap. "Until it's safe to let Eren go." Armin sat back in the seat and exhaled. "Whatever information you find, I can put it all together- so just hurry and find everything." He grumbled and Erwin pat Sally, the dog lying beside his feet. "Well, first thing's first." He glanced to Armin, the teen looking to him. "We need to get ahold of Grisha Yeager."


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

**Day 8**

The night was restless. Eren knew now that this would be the day he would hear his father's voice after a week of being proclaimed "missing".

He rolled from his side onto his back, staring at the black ceiling above him. It was two a.m., Saturday, May 8th. He had endured three long and agonizing days of torture before finally gaining some of his captor's trust. But how? Thinking back now, he remembered what Hanji had told him about Bertoldt. "Days to tell us what Fubar was withholding...". What had he been withholding?

He remembered that sad pale face stained with blood and pain and his stomach hurt. Bertoldt Fubar was dead- a potential friend. Someone Eren had shared only a brief conversation with but had felt some sort of connection. This had to be survivor's guilt.

"Eren breathed deeply and sat up to get off the bed. He and Armin had been submitted to physical therapy and gun lessons for two days but the teen still felt... wrong. Something about this whole event was wrong. The code. These people. The client. And how it was all tied to his dad.

The teen shook his head and made his way to exit the room, the pain in his knee stung and it felt like there was a hole in his marrow but the treatment these madmen had given him made it tolerable under the circumstances.

He headed out of the room, glancing down the seemingly empty hallway before going to head down the stairs. The big guy, Erwin, had said that they were welcome to roam the house. Ever since that dream Eren had had Wednesday night, he had been iffy on sleeping. It was nice to get to roam. Especially since his nerves were all on edge over the fact that he would finally have to explain all that had happened to his dad. Erwin had said that Eren might uncover things he may have never wanted to during this talk. And he wasn't necessarily sure if he was ready.

Sally lifted his thick head from where he lay by the front door, looking at Eren with shiny eyes when the teen stepped off the last stair. Eren huffed a small and tired smile, going to walk to the dog that had tried to tear him apart once.

Sally's ears picked up and his tail started thumping the floor when Eren pat his head, kneeling beside the dog with a heavy wince and setting his fingers to work at scratching the mutt's head.

"Hey."

Was it bad that Eren had become accustomed to the voice of Levi?

Eren looked behind him, to the male that sat perfectly hidden in a chair. Eren gave a little wave and Levi 'hmph'ed', chin resting on his hand with his elbow on the chair's arm. "You're awake." Levi spoke again and Eren gave a nod, moving to sit beside Sally- the dog laying his head down again. "So are you." br /Levi clicked his tongue at this and moved to sit back and cross his arms. He looked well rested. Not like before when he had looked disheveled, emotional. No, now he looked just like his old self- callous and maticulative... but there was just some sort of new element of emotion to his cold eyes.

"You're nervous about the contact." Eren didn't deny Levi's statement, just looked down at his hands. Levi nodded softly, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Is Hanji up yet?" Eren looked at Levi and the noirette just gave a shake of his head in response.

They sat like that for a moment, in silence with thoughts running through both of them but nothing being shared. Until Eren chose a topic. "Do you have a family?" He asked, stomach cringing at the image of Levi assaulting him for daring to ask such a question- any question at all. But the scene didn't happen. Levi simply gave another slow shake of his head, opening his eyes to peek at Eren after the silent response.

Eren swallowed at that scrutinizing gaze, scooting to sit against the door. Hanji, Levi, and their friend knew all there was about himself and Armin, so why not go the other way around?/p  
p style="text-align: left;""Did you?" Levi didn't respond for a while and Eren had almost decided to drop the subject until that matured voice spoke again. "Once."

Levi hadn't taken his gaze off of Eren, just watching him. Not in concern, or hatred, or murder. He was just watching him.

"What happened?" Eren asked, pulling his legs to him. Levi exhaled and closed his eyes again. "I lost it. Everyone loses everything." "...There's always a story to how we lose those things." Eren's murmur had Levi looking at him again and the noirette smirked. He smirked. It didn't look evil... more of... sad understanding. This was a human being too, no matter what he had done to Eren or anyone else./p  
p style="text-align: left;"Eren put his hands together in his lap and leaned his head against the door, looking to the stairs in front of him. The conversation was over now, he knew. But both males had too much on their minds to be able to close their eyes for more than five minutes.

They all sat in silence, the phone's echoing rings sending waves of anxiety to Eren's heart at each beat.

The teen glanced to the people around him briefly, swallowing through a dry throat and grimacing at their seemingly calm expressions.

Levi looked casual, if not a bit anxious. Erwin held a look of determination, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees. Armin looked like Armin but tired. He bounced one leg softly, gaze fogged and staring at the ringing phone on the table before the four.

Armin's gaze slid from the phone to Eren and the two watched each other, no emotion or silent words being transacted- it was just them looking into each other's souls at this mess that wasn't theirs.

"Hello?" Grisha Yeager's voice was foreign, Eren jumping at the sudden sound and looking to the phone.

""Hello? This is Grisha." The voice sounded again at the silence that had ensued and Levi and Erwin exchanged glances. Eren didn't want to talk. He looked _petrified_ at this situation.

"Erwin cleared his throat. "Hello, Mr. Yeager. Are you aware that your son has been missing this past week?" The man sat back in his seat, crossing his fingers within each other. "...Is he alright?" Grisha's voice kept its tone and Eren couldn't feel his legs anymore. He just felt so _disturbed._

"No, he is not. He has suffered major trauma physically and mentally and he will suffer more if you do not comply with our standard. Is that understood?" Erwin asked.

The phone was silent and the man concluded that that was most likely bitter understanding.

"Someone who has a grudge against you hired some of my men to gt a code from your son. We need to know where you fit in with all of this, because your son is no longer a concern for life and we're the only ones keeping him breathing right now. With your cooperation." Erwin stated and something sounded in the phone's background, probably a pen rolling.

Grisha didn't speak for a long moment before finding himself and inhaling audibly. "I want to hear Eren's voice. To make sure he's really alive."

Erwin looked to the shaken teen, the brunette struggling to breath. Armin pursed his lips and glanced to the phone. "Take my word Grisha, that Eren's alright." He spoke and Eren looked to the blonde, Armin going to run a hand through his blonde locks.

More silence ensued and Levi clenched his jaw. This was taking too long. He leaned forward, turning up the phone's speaker's volume. "Tell us what your fucking family is doing getting involved with this kind of stuff. You want your son to be safe? Alive? Start talking or you'll be celebrating his eighteenth birthday at the fucking cemetery, because I don't do well with kids _Grisha_." Erwin put his face in a hand at the growled words but didn't lecture the other man. Levi was right. This needed to be done.

There was just more silence.

Levi scowled and slammed his fists against the table, yelling a profanity- "Dad, emplease/em!" Eren's hands gripped his hair and he looked at his knees, breathing deeply. "I... I don't want to die." The whispered words broke and the distraught teen shut his eyes tight, face full of boiling motion wanting to spill when Armin scoot to the teen and put a slender hand on his thigh.

The silence was unbearable and Levi flopped back into his seat, Erwin leaning forward to click the hang up button- "It was an experiment to prolong life." Grisha sounded meekly and Armin glanced to the phone, Eren shaking his head in sorrowful frustration. Why would his dad do something to get them in this mess? Why?

Erwin slid back, eying the phone in wait for more information, Levi crossing his arms tight over his chest and Armin squeezing Eren's leg in support.

"They contacted me through my job and said they needed me to help them with a project they were wanting to conduct- but the government wouldn't approve of such sciences. I don't know why, but I just... I just decided to help. Carla had gotten sick soon after I agreed to help so it was going well.

"We had been doing testing and research for a good majority of the beginning, but then one day they... they brought in some kids..." Grisha fell silent and Levi and Erwin looked to each other at this but remained silent, Erwin glancing at his phone and making sure the recording was still active.

Grisha made a small noise, just something to help regain himself.

"After some tests were produced and some DNA was manipulated, they asked me to put everything together in the computer- but I stole the pass-code instead and quite jobs. We couldn't move because Eren was just so happy, and we wanted to keep him that way since Carla was... ill. He needed something to ease his mind." The man murmured and Eren sniffed, sitting crouched with his face in his arms in his lap; Armin's hand placed on his back while the blonde stared off, processing everything just as quickly as the adults were.

"What happened to your wife?" Levi asked and Grisha's inhale was audible.

"They started harassing me any chance they got for the code. I had the only way to access the database I had created and I didn't give it over. So one day, they tracked us and... killed Carla in an attempt to get it. Is it heartless that I let her die for something so simple?" The last sentence was murmured, something for himself to process and interpret.

He cleared his throat. "It was made to look like an accident. I do know for a matter of fact that there were three people left behind- the subjects. There were two males and one female; there was another boy but he was kept in a room separate from the rest." "What happened to them?" Erwin asked.

"We had injected them with the concoction but it's hereditary and can't be activated until something spikes it to. Which is why I stole the code- so they _can't_ activate the serum." Grisha stated and Levi furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes at the phone.

"If you had such high hopes for this apparent 'serum', why not let them continue with the operation? What made you change your mind? You accepted to help so you could save your wife but quite and got her killed. Why?" The tone in his voice was so matter-of-fact that it hurt.

Grisha was quiet. "Because it's inhumane. What they did to those kids... I just couldn't... I'm sorry Eren..." He whispered and Eren glanced up to the phone. Why was his father apologizing? This was all his fault. _All_ of it. But or some reason, Eren felt like it wasn't his dad at fault.

Armin slipped his hand from Eren's back and sat back in the couch. "Who did it, Grisha? Who's behind all of this?" Eren couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Armin, staring at the straight faced teenager who had spoken. It hadn't occurred to him to ever ask that question. It felt wrong. There was still something wrong about all of this. Something was missing.

"I'm so sorry Eren... About everything. I love you, son." Eren's breathing picked up. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. But everyone just seemed so _normal_.

The gunshot that rang out was odd, sounded like it was just something his mind concocted. But he knew from training that that was a 45 caliber and that that was the last time he would hear his dad's voice. The shot had startled everyone and the silence was interrupted by Eren's howled wails, Levi lunging forward to hang up the phone before any information could be spared to the killer. He and Erwin looked to one another, Levi scowling and tearing his gaze away. They had just been _that_ close and just to fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, fellow readers. Chapter Twelve. The last chapter I had that was already typed and finished. Now... we wait.
> 
> This fic is still being continued, don't worry; I just take a while typing because this story because I lost my notes and have to remember/rethink things. The update will be either sometime this month or it could extend to a couple of months, but don't worry, I still update. I mean, ask the kids on Fanfiction.net (They basically thought I died once).


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accidentally put this chapter before chapter 10..... Whoops.
> 
> I also can't bold or italicize words on my phone so that sucks too- had to use some caps for emphasis.

Chapter Thirteen

Day 8

Eren had finally calmed down hours after the event. Hanji was awake now, with Levi sitting with them in their room while Erwin packed bags. They had to leave.

Armin zipped the gunbag and looked to Erwin, the older man making sure everything was in order. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"You are headed for a hotel that I've arranged." The blonde man stated without looking to the younger.

Armin crossed his arms and stood straight, glancing past his bangs to Sally's direction. "And then what?" He asked quietly, Erwin's heavy sigh following.

"And then you will all head to the location of the client and end this all before it gets too out of hand." Erwin stated and Armin looked at him.

"Before it gets too out of hand? Grisha Yeager is dead and Eren is being hunted."

"And it would have happened with or without us. This is all Grisha Yeager's fault for commiting to the project. ...We're just cleaning the mess." Erwin muttered and zipped the bag infront of him closed. Armin bit his tongue. There was no way Grisha could be blamed for this. Anyone would get involved if it meant saving their loved ones.

"So what are we doing then? You've trained us to shoot guns and now what? You expect us to kill people, is that it?" 

"Yes, that's it exactly."

Armin blinked and glanced at Erwin before clicking his tongue and shaking his head of further thoughts on the subject. 

Erwin zipped the last bag he had beside him and exhaled through his nose. This was horrible form. Having young adults throw their life away for something that wasn't their fault. But that'd only happen if they were caught. Erwin didn't plan on anyone getting caught anytime soon, not by the police nor by the client. They'd catch them first.

Erwin sat on the couch and folded his hands in his lap. "I'll call Levi to give you orders. We think the first place to look should be the old encorporate building that Grisha worked with the client in. It's out best bet." He stated and Armin huffed. He felt like he was already accustomed to all of this. Like it was 'normal' now. But he didn't want it to be normal. 

"And what if it's not the place?" He asked while putting the bags on the table. Erwin breathed deeply, looking at his hands.

"Nickle Bien-Ame, when we dosed him with Sodium Amytal, said that there was a total of four people in the building with our client. All four escaped." 

Armin nodded slowly. "I remember what Grisha said." He stated and Erwin gave a stern nod. "Good. Levi and Hanji were given a case to get some information out of three youths and killed two in the process.

"Nickle had told us that thos three were three of the four from the research lab." "And you killed them." Armin watched Erwin and the man straightened. It was all just one big mistake. He continued. 

"Bertoldt Hoover, Annie Leonhardt, and Reiner Braun are the ones that the job consisted of. We learned that Bertoldt held some viable information, but he was killed. Along with Braun. The girl is still alive, so if we have to, we'll open her up from storage and use her information."

Armin narrowed his eyes. "'Storage'?" Erwin grabbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. 

"Hanji took it upon themself to use her for experimentation with some Sodium Nitrate stuff. She's alive, though, we know that." The man stated and Armin crossed his thin arms. "Well, where is she?" 

Erwin stayed silent and Armin pursed his lips. "Fine. When are we leaving-" 

"Who was the fourth?" 

Armin jumped and looked to the stairs, Erwin following his gaze to Eren.

Eren stood at the stairs, fully clothed with black gloves on and a coat. He had just gotten ready to go when he caught just a bit of the conversation. Something told him not to ask, but he just couldn't hold back. It made his insides quiver.

Erwin scoot off the couch to stand, grabbing a bag from the table and making his way to hand it to Eren. The teen took it, slinging the hefty guns over his shoulder while watching Erwin; waiting for an answer. 

"Marco Bodt. He was being kept in a seperate room from the rest, but Nickle reported having had fed him a few times." The man stated, going back to the bags and grabbing another for Armin. He didn't know what happened. Eren had looked calm upon descending down the stairs but when Erwin looked at him again he looked shaken. The man looked at Armin.

The blonde's gaze was on the floor and although he looked reletively collected, his eyes betrayed him. Erwin looked from one teen to the other. 

"Did you know him?" He finally asked and Eren nodded quickly. "H-he was our friend." The words tasted metallic, like he had bitten his tongue and the blood had swelled to his tongue. Saying those words made him want to puke. 'He WAS our friend'. 

Erwin seemed to have realized what had happened and he cleared his throat, standing straight and smoothing his dress coat. "I'm sorry-" 

"It happened a year ago, it's fine." Armin cut through Erwin's words like an axe on execution day and the older man didn't know how to respond. Eren on the other hand, was silent; stance still and moves halted.

Armin exhaled deeply through his nose and crossed his arms acround his front, looking at Eren through his blonde lashes. He should had just stayed quiet. Since when did he become so... He couldn't even think of a word for his behavior or attitude. Whatever the impact his words put on Eren was unclear, the bruntte staying silent. He simply picked up a small bag that held medical supplies and stole away for the front door.

"Armin." 

Armin reluctanly looked to Erwin, the man looking like a stern father. Grandpa. How was he coping with Armin's disappearance? The thought sent a tinge of guilt to Armin's chest and the teen sighed. "Yes?"

"Hanji and Levi will join you later at the location. Until then, you and Eren will wait and send them an estimate of how many security guards are inside and out."

Armin nodded. They would go to Grisha's old work-place, the one where all of this had first started. How was Marco a part of it? He was a normal highschool student- nothing had seemed wrong. ...If he had escaped, wouldn't he have been in hiding? It didn't make sense to him. 

He stood, grabbing he and Eren's coats. Eren had forgotten his. Armin was sure that Eren was probably done with him now. Wasn't Armin the one made at him at first?

He headed for the door, exiting the house and making his way to the van. He would drive, Eren would even out their weapons and meds, Erwin would reside at the house and give them orders via bluetooth, and Levi and Hanji would meet the teens in a bit with more orders and supplies.

Armin slid into the front seat, sparing a quick glance to Eren who sat looking at his hands in his lap. At least he didn't look angry. Just... sad. Armin stuck the key into the ignition, turning it until the engine roared to life. He looked at Eren, those sad teal eyes looking so far away but he was still present in reality. 

"Eren. ...I'm sorry." Eren sat still, the heat from the vents blowing his hair just a tad against his forehead. 

"Me too." Those teal eyes slid from his thin fingers to Armin's blue orbs and they held each other, guilt and sadness stuck together like a depression.

Armin tore his gaze away, looking to the steering wheel. He shook his head. "Yon't need to apologize for anything Eren, I-" 

"I'm sorry that he died." 

The words seemed to echoe in the van and Armin's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He looked back to Eren. 

It was true. Eren was sorry that Marco had died and not Armin. Armin was anorexic, depressed, retarded, and a nobody. When Eren looked in crowds, he didn't look for that blonde bob, no. He looked for the ashy brown hair that belonged to the freckled teenager who shouldn't had died. Marco was a somebody. Everyone asked where he was when he was sick. He socialized with anyone, no matter what status they held. Everone wanted him as a friend. Eren just wanted him as more.

Eren looked away from those sad eyes that had looked back into his.

"...Just drive to the place."


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Warning:**

**Minor adult content**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Day 8**

Hanji rubbed their neck gently, sore fingers caressing the wound tentavely that hid underneath a heavy layer of bandaging that could best be named as Levi's-Work. They were hurting. In all actuality, it felt like they had been getting over a heavy cold and their body was achingly sore to the tip of an arm hair. Their mind was all sorts of jumbled but they understood the main fact: they had a lead on where to find the bastard that had started all of this.

There was a corporation called Ever-Life somewhere East of Erwin's country home and it was that same corporation that Grisha Yeager had worked for all those years ago.

Hanji rolled their eyes from their spot on their shirt to Levi's face.

Their teeth hurt- sore enough to keep their jaw from closing. Levi took his eyes off of the road to look at them and he brought a hand to their cheek, caressing the tender skin. He was too guilty to say anything at the moment and Hanji closed their eyes, letting Levi ease them againt him, slipping his arm around their shoulders and rubbing his fingers over their jutting shoulder bone. Hanji rest their head softly against Levi's shoulder and Levi grit his teeth, leaning to them and kissing their clean head of hair.

Hanji mumbled something and Levi ignored them, eyes on the road while he held them tight in his arm. The ride wouldn't take too long, at least until they got to the hotel. Hanji would be able to rest there and Levi would make sure the kids remembered how to shoot a gun. They'd eat, head for the place at dark, dispose of the corporation, and head back to Erwin's. Erwin would figure out what to do with the kids and Levi would continue taking jobs while Hanji healed up at a new house.

Levi looked at Hanji, the brunette looking ill with yellow bruising trailing up their neck and to their jaw.

Hanji would quit. They didn't need this. The thought of working alone, though, after years of having a partnership, made his gut drop. It would be lonely, but Levi already lost one important thing and he wouldn't lose another.

l.l

The car ride led them to a nice hotel, one that Erwin no doubt had stayed in before. As upset as it made him, Levi had to wake up Hanji and the brunette had to walk inside, for appearances. They made it to the room, though, without Hanji falling or getting weak and Levi opened the door for them, leading them to a bed that they fell asleep on. The man looked around the room for the kids and found them seperate from one another, Armin sat on the floor against a wall doing nothing and Eren sat messing with his weapons.

"You both remember how to use those, don't you?" Levi looked to the both of them and they nodded, Levi narrowing his eyes at them before perching on Hanji's bed. "What's wrong with you two?"

Armin glanced at Eren while the latter kept his eyes on his gun. The brunette shrugged his shoulders.

Levi watched them for a moment longer. "If I can put aside my differences and tell you two something about my life, I'm sure you two can fucking get along for this mission and so forth, am I right?" His voice grew hostile towards the end of his words and the teens remained silent.

"I had a kid once, snotty like you." Levi pointed at Eren and the teen huffed through his nose. "But he was nice. I haven't seen you outside of the situation your dumbass friend brought you into, but I'm sure you're a nice kid, too." Levi looked at Armin and the blonde looked at him before looking away.

"My wife was the sweetest person anyone could have met but she didn't like my job and left me, and took my son with her. I never saw them again." Levi stated to the silent children. "Until I killed them."

Both Armin and Eren looked at him and Hanji stirred. "It was a job. I was supposed to kill this guy who kidnapped some kids because at one time, yeah, I only killed bad guys. I just didn't know my kid was one that was taken and when I busted into the room that fat fuck was supposed to be in my kid thought I was him and he stabbed me. I shot him before I even saw his face." Levi scowled and looked from one teen to the other.

"I went to find my wife and explain to her what had happened and we both lost it, and I was the one who came out on top. You two think you're going to go in that building with some built up anger and come out alive? Think a-fucking-gain! Me and Hanji? We fought that night they were taken and tortured because I wanted to do another job, and I did. Hanji was the one who almost didn't make it. Either one, or both of you kids is going to die in there if you can't get along and forget your differances, and me and Hanji are going to be left with the guilt of knowing that two bright kids died because we ruined their friendship!" Levi barked, grey eyes burning and making the teens look away when the heat scorched their eyes.

"You two need to learn from our mistakes because we're the killers and you two are the victims. If you wanna live, you're gonna need to learn from us." His voice softened and he looked to the floor, breathing heavily at the images of a chunky little Joey smiling to the boney teenager with bullet smoke trailing from his forehead.

Hanji's thin fingers gripped the bottom hem of Levi's shirt and the man bowed his head, putting his hands over his face.

Eren looked at Armin and when he saw those blue eyes already fixed on him he turned his gaze back to his gun, gripping it tight.

"You both need to get some rest. If you're hungry, call room-service." Levi spoke, laying at the foot of Hanji's bed, legs off the edge. He'd be damned if they didn't eat anything when the food was free: aka being placed on Erwin's bill.

Armin headed for the room's couch, laying across it. There was no way he and Eren would share a bed, he imagined Eren thinking.

_Tap, tap tap, scratch, scratch..._

Armin closed his eyes and sniffed.

" _I'm sorry."_ Armin translated the morse code that Eren had probably used the wall to write with.

" _It was me."_ He tapped his fingers on the table beside him in reply. Because it really was him.

After a long while there was the sound of quiet breathing and Armin conluded that Levi must had fallen asleep, a very light one at that. The sound of soft boots approaching on the wooden floor though, made Armin move a hand to wipe his glossy eyes.

Eren knelt in front of the couch and put his arms around Armin, the blonde sitting up alittle bit to hug him back. "I'm sorry, Eren." Armin muffled himself in Eren's chest and the brunette shook his head. "It's okay." He whispered and pulled Armin back to look at his face. Armin looked away, stiffling his crying and Eren leaned forward; putting a hand on Armin's cheek he started kissing his tears away. Armin gave an airy sob and put his face in Eren's neck, the brunette hugging his friend tight. Friend. What Armin wanted to move up from and what Eren wanted to stay at.

"I'm sorry." Armin cried and Eren shook his head, shushing the blonde. "We both fucked up." Eren whispered and Armin looked at him through his teary eyes. "Huh?" He was taken aback and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "You didn't do anything." He cried softly. Why did Eren's eyes look so guilty? Eren's hand slipped behind Armin's head, fingers tangling in his blonde hair: their lips were pressed together in a guilty embrace. The kiss was bittersweet and ended almost as quick as it had began, Eren pulling his battered lips back and pressing his forehead against Armin's, sighing deeply; his breath brushing the blonde's face.

Armin stared at Eren's collarbones, the brunette's flingers slipping away from his friend's hair and his hand dropping slowly to his side. Armin looked at Eren's face and he bit a trembling lip at the closed eyes that had shiny eyelashes.

"I don't want you to love me if you don't." Armin whispered, the words spitting out despite his wanting to sound calm and collected. Eren shook his head slowly against Armin's, lips pursing and eyes shutting tight.

"I think I'm supposed to love you Armin... I just don't." Eren finally whispered and Armin watched him, closing his eyes and stiffling his crying; tears dripping from his eyes like when his grandfather had first gone to the hospital.

"Then can we just try to be happy friends again?" Armin cried softly. "P-pretend this didn't happen?" He looked at Eren, the brunette's image being drowned in a wavy film. Eren sniffed and wiped a tear that dared to role down his own cheek.

"..." He put a hand to Armin's cheek sticky of tears, his other caressing the blonde's neck. "...I'm so sorry Armin." He whispered, the blonde closing his eyes again. Eren pressed a few more, hesitant kisses to his friend's soft lips, trailing away to kiss the tears that kept staining his pale cheeks.

_Just kiss me like I'm Marco, pretend I'm not me- make me want to live again_. The thoughts were suicide but they kept repeating in Armin's head. _I'll be Marco for you if you just love me_.

The two scoot on the couch, Armin scooting to the back and Eren climbing on next to him, laying flush against him to keep from falling off while he kissed the blonde's deadly tears, shaky fingers caressing his cheeks.

_Just kiss me again and we can pretend we were always happy friends- like when we were young_. The thoughts haunted Armin and the teen grabbed the collar of Eren's shirt, scrunching it in his ill-minded grip in an attempt to keep him close.

"We could die..." He whispered against Eren's face and the brunette nodded solemnly. "...I know." He didn't want to die. The thought of it reminded him that now both of his parents were dead.

Armin put a thin hand over Eren's eyes and pressed his lips against Eren's again, kissing the sweet flesh softly. Eren didn't stop him. _He's imagining Marco._ Armin thought deep in the back of his broken mind but it didn't reach him and he placed more kisses to his friend's reserved lips, the brunette slowly but eventually easing into the kisses and placing his own. Armin's hand started to slip away the more he kissed his friend but Eren was quick to put his own hand over Armin's, preventing it from fully leaving. He slid his tongue against Armin's lips and the blonde flushed deeply but parted his pink flesh, breathing deeply through his nose to calm his tears into disappearing. He slid his own tongue against Eren's and the brunette moved his hand to Armin's neck, caressing the skin softly while he assaulted the blonde's mouth. Armin broke the kiss for air. "Wait." It was a airy whisper and he and Eren took in small gasps of air.

_As long as it doesn't sound like anyone it's okay_. Eren thought of the airy voice. His mind was scattered, black eyesight placing him somewhere between being asleep and awake and it was okay. He could think it was just a dream.

Armin pressed his lips to Eren's again and they were quick to pick up where they left off, Armin shifting his legs uncomfortably at the warm feeling that was enveloping in his black pants. He bit Eren's bottom lip and the brunette groaned, pressing himself against Armin. The blonde flushed, growing hot and flustered and tilting his head to break the kiss, Eren's lips trailing from the soft flesh to the blonde's jaw, kissing and licking his way to his neck. Armin didn't stop him. He squeeled quietly and bit his bottom lip hard to contain himself, slipping his free hand down his waist and to the front of his pants. He breathed heavily- shakily. Eren kissed and nibbled a spot on Armin's neck and unconciously brought his hips forward, rolling them against Armin's hand, forcing a friction that caught them both off gaurd.

Armin's mouth dropped open and he contained a moan, shutting his eyes tight and Eren pressed his lips back to the blonde's, breathing against him before taking them into kisses.

Armin moved his hand to Eren's hip, urging him to move and he did. The brunette pushed his hips forward, rocking them against Armin's in slow thrusts that had Armin whimpering behind Eren's lips. Armin licked against Eren's tongue and the brunette put an arm around the blonde's torso, pulling him closer to him while the pace of his hips grew quicker, more frantic. Armin broke the kiss again, resting his sweaty forehead against Eren's while the two breathed against eachother.

Armin started murmering breathy words and Eren ignored him, slipping his hand from Armin's torso to his back, sliding it down to his pants. He slipped his fingers into Armin's waist band and the blonde's air hitched at the fingers that ran across his bare skin.

"We should stop." He whispered beside himself, moving his hand back to grab Eren's wrist. The brunette murmured something and gave one last sloppy kiss before slowing his thrusts and slipping his hand from Armin's waist. They breathed deeply against one another and Armin peeked his eyes open, looking at Eren's flustered face that's eyes were hidden. The blonde bit his lip at a tinge that tugged at his groin. The sight of Eren sweaty, pink, breathless because of him was arrousing and he was already arroused.

He pressed another, quick kiss to Eren's lips and the brunette sighed heavily, turning his head to put his face in a couch cushion.

They were silent, Armin watching Eren's unsteady breathing calm. He himself was still hard and he shook his head at the thought, placing his hand over his face. What was wrong with him? With his luck this would somehow mess with the mission and he couldn't have that. _We could die._ Or worse... _He could blame me._

Levi slept beside Hanji, pale fingers entwined with the brunette's bony ones. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he sighed deeply through his nose, slipping his fingers from Hanij's and to his pocket. He pulled out the electronic and raised it over his face, creaking his eyes open to look at the screen. It was ten thirty p.m., time to start the mission. He looked at Hani's face of peaceful sleep and slowly rolled out of bed, making as little movement as possible to leave the latter's sleep undisturbed. He looked at the teens' bed and when it showed to be empty he quirked a brow, glancing around at the otherwise empty room. He tepped to the couch and peeked over the back of the sofa, eyes falling on the sleeping forms of Eren and Armin next to eachother.

"Eren, Armin."

Eren slowly opened his eyes and looked at Levi, the noirette staring down at him.

"It's time." Levi said and Eren immediately started climbing off of the couch.

"We're killing them all, right?" He whispered to the noirette and the man gave a single nod.

"Every last one of them."

**A/N: I had this chapter written out about a month before uploading it and reading it now, I noticed it's kind of like, a very sad romance going on for the kids :c. Anyway, though, I feel pretty good about this chapter (I can't believe I didn't really care for the other ones; I'm such a terrible mother to my stories haha :') ) and I absolutely can't believe I'm finally saying this but this fic that you, fellow friends, have been following, is finally almost to its closing point! That's right! It will be wrapped up in just about two or three more chapters! Maybe even ONE!**

**Thank you all for your support and patience and for sticking around this long, I couldn't have made it this far without you. \\\^_^/**


	17. Chapter Fifteen: Day Nine, Finale Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang are finally within grasp of getting the client but when they get in, they find it's much, much worse than anything they could have ever imagined and that there's still one last deep secret to uncover.

 

**Chapter Fifteen: Finale Part One**

 

  


 

**Day 9**

 

**10:00 pm**

 

  


 

“You’re all ready?” Erwin asked from where he sat in the living room of his couch. The question was redirected to Hanji, Levi, Eren, and Armin from his phone to their Bluetooths and they all replied with some sort of ‘yes’. If they could get in, there was no big worry: whoever was in charge at that center could be taken down and his guards were just as easy. The real threat was on the outside. Annie Leonhardt really had escaped from Hanji and Levi’s house and it was a major question as to where she was. She could be unstable and from what Hanji had gotten out of her before, she was a good tracker.

 

“Alright, well, when you get there, there should be some guards outside. There are eleven stories but I’ll bet the client is lower, underground, maybe. It’s too expecting to be up high, that’s where people always look first. I doubt it’ll be easy to get into where he is, though.” Erwin stated while looking to the blueprints that were splayed on the table in front of him.

 

“Copy.” Levi replied. There was a set of woods near the site and after hiding away the car, the four had started their walk to the building. Since Eren was stronger than Armin, he walked alongside Hanji and Armin walked alongside Levi. The only noise that came from any of them were the crunching of leaves beneath their boots and slight pants from the long walk that Levi demanded they make. The plan was for one team to set charges, the other to kill the client, and then for them both to exit and blow the said charges to cover any evidence or other codes for whatever EverLife was hoping to accomplish.

 

“There’s a man there.” Armin stated and pointed once he saw a guard through the end of the forest, near the building. Levi raised a gun with a silencer hooked to it and shot, blood spurting from the man’s face as his body fell to the ground.

 

“Everyone, pull on your masks, they could have cameras.” The man stated and pulled his black mask over his face, blending his skin into black like the rest of his body. They all followed pursuit and Levi pointed to Hanji and Eren, motioning. “Go to the back, we’ll see you inside.” Hanji gave a brief nod and turned to rush to the backside, Eren following with a silencer drawn.

 

Eren was to kill the leader with Hanji and then to set charges in the basement. Levi and Armin were to set charges elsewhere in the building and ensure that there were no more guns for hire hiding where they could escape.

 

Levi grabbed the guard’s body and pulled it to the woods, dumping it behind a tree. “Alright Armin, start hacking the door.” They would hack their way inside and dispose of most of the guards to leave an easy access for Eren and Hanji but that was all they could do- they had their own jobs too. Armin headed for the door and started messing with the key pad, Levi standing near him and observing their surroundings, looking for other guards. There was something wrong about it all. If the client was smart, he’d know that Eren and the others would be coming for him. So why the lack of guards?

 

The last digit was pressed and the pad beeped, allowing for access.

 

“Erwin, we’re in.” Levi informed the man and peeked his head into the building first. Using the heavy door for cover, he started shooting all personnel that could be seen, Armin guarding himself by pressing his body to the outside wall. Being shot is a terrible way to die. He looked to Levi and the noirette motioned for him, stepping fully into the room.

 

“Armin, get us access to the elevator.” Levi pointed to the machine and Armin nodded, heading for that direction. Levi took to placing charges and shooting out visible cameras.

 

“Hanji.” He spoke into the Bluetooth, checking if a body was alive.

 

“Yes?”

 

“There’s something going on, the guards aren’t out- just employees. Be careful and don’t let the kid know, just get to the client and don’t be seen.”

 

The elevator dinged open and Levi looked over to Armin, the blonde standing and waiting, watching him.

 

“Okay.” Hanji replied, signing off. They and Eren had gained entry into the back and were walking casually down an empty, white corridor.

 

“What’d he say?” Eren looked to Hanji and the bandaged brunette shrugged. “Something about there being a lot of cameras, to “not be seen”.” They gave an airy laugh and Eren nodded slowly. “Oh.”

 

It was the end of that conversation and the two walked in silence again, peeking down corners but keeping on their straight path.

 

“Hanji.” Eren looked to them and they looked back, raising a thin brow.

 

“Yes?”

 

“What will you and Levi do after this is all over?”

 

Hanji seemed to consider the thought, contemplating. “I don’t know. Move again.” They laughed at the thought and when their laugh died down, they considered it more. “I think we’ll just move and work more. Yeah, we don’t really know much else. Levi’s been killing since before he could walk- I mean, he probably killed his mom in birth.”

 

“That’s not funny.” Eren gave Hanji a look and they laughed again, hitting Eren in the arm.

 

“You’re funny, kiddo.”

 

Eren rolled his eyes and rubbed his arm. “What about you? How long have you been like this?” He asked, rolling his eyes to the lanky brunette.

 

“Mm. Maybe when I was a kid. I’d kill animals to learn their anatomy, do blood transfusions. Really, though, I’d have to say in college. I had a job at the local hospital and I’d kill some of the patients, just for learning’s sake. You know, your dad was my college professor.” Hanji recalled and Eren raised his brows.

 

“Really? What did he teach?”

 

“He taught science, normal college stuff. He sure was smart, though! Man, looking at you, though, it makes me realize how old I am. He didn’t have a kid back then.” Hanji stated, laughing. Eren couldn’t help but to let a smile break on his own face. “When did you and Levi start working for hire?” He asked through his smile.

 

“I was probably nineteen. I started college when I was seventeen, so it was probably when I was nineteen. See, I was sitting in a cafe and here struds-” Hanji silenced them self, putting a finger to their lips and shushing to make them self be quiet while also tossing out their other hand to stop Eren from walking.

 

“W-what is it?” Eren whispered, looking from Hanji to the corridors.

 

Hanji tilted their head, their nose in the air, and they sniffed.

 

“I smell something.” They murmured, turning their gaze straight down a corridor. Eren swallowed and furrowed his brows. “Do we go to it?” “No.”

 

Hanji grabbed Eren and looked up to the ceiling. They pulled the teen along with them until they were under a vent and they looked to Eren. “You played football, right? Lift me up- and hurry.”

 

Eren tried to get room in to protest but when Hanji looked more anxious, he knelt to the floor. “Get on my shoulders.” He rushed and Hanji started to climb on. The reason why Eren was so against it was because of his knee. This would ruin it and make it hard to finish the night, he thought to himself while slowly standing, trying to keep the strain off of his knee but strain being a main factor to getting back up.

 

Something large and heavy sounded, scraping against something like a corridor’s wall or floor and Eren widened his eyes, turning his gaze to the corridor he thought it to be coming from.

 

“What the fuck is that?” He asked, terrorized, and looked up to Hanji, who was desperately reaching up to the ceiling for the vent just out of reach. “Just hurry!” Hanji hissed to Eren when the scraping got louder and more intense- approached further. Eren stood more, trying not to pull his knee taught- they would need to run tonight, he was sure of it. Hanji grasped for the vent, clawed for it but it was still of a teasing distance.

 

The scraping was scary, terrorizing, horrific, and it just got closer and closer, Eren staring at the corridor for what monster was there. “Eren!” Hanji yelled, getting the teen’s attention. Eren grit his teeth and stood, gaining enough height for Hanji to start pulling open the vent while listening to Eren’s anguishing cries. The vent swung open and Hanji started pulling them-self up, inside. Once they were in, they hung an arm out for Eren but he was kneeling, cradling his knee.

 

“Eren, come on! It’s coming!” Hanji reached as far as they could for Eren, the scraping echoing in the vents and to Hanji’s ears. Eren shook his head and tried to clear his breathing, taking deep, deep breaths. It didn’t help the pain in his knee, though. It was just so unbearable. He quickly stood on his other leg, keeping his wounded one bent, and reached up for Hanji. He couldn’t reach.

 

“Eren, hurry the fuck up! Jump!” The look of desperation in Hanij’s eyes hurt. Eren placed both feet on the ground and heavily limped backwards before running as best he could and jumping for Hanji’s arm. They grasped each other’s forearms and Hanji had to bring down their other arm to help pull the teen up. Both their sets of eyes turned to the corridor when the scraping stopped and Eren’s mouth dropped open, his gut clenching. What the fuck is that?

 

Something of great heights and five times the normal human’s body-weight stood at the end of the corridor, holding a metal door that looked to be incredibly heavy to its side, caked with blood. It wasn’t looking at the brunettes yet, simply just standing still with its side to them. And it had no skin. It looked like it had cut it all off, with patches of flesh still present in some places.

 

Eren and Hanji’s grip on each other slipped a bit but it was enough to make Eren start screaming.

 

“Hanji, pull me up! _Pull me up_!!” He cried, staring at the thing in utter fear. Hanji started pulling the teen up, breathing quickly in their own sense of terror. The thing turned its head to them and the terrible, horrid scraping started again.

 

Eren started to fully scream, turning his gaze to the vent to try and help Hanji get him up. Once he was up enough to grip the vent, he started pulling himself up as quickly as he could, Hanji yanking him further inside while watching the thing that strode after them. The creature raised its hand with the metal door and Hanji screamed, gripping Eren to pull him and his flailing legs in. Eren managed to get both legs in just as the thing swung the door where the limbs had been, the air whistling at the assault. Hanji reached down to grab the vent and slam it shut.

 

l.l

 

Levi and Armin had just finished the second floor and were moving to the third. It was agreed that they would place charges to the sixth floor, and that that would help lead to the collapse of the building. Armin glanced to Levi while they stood in the elevator, the man standing stiffly while watching the closed doors.

 

He had things he wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut and looked at his gun. It seemed surreal to be doing all of this. He’d wake up in the morning refreshed and at home but then he’d have to remember “oh yeah, me and Eren were kidnapped and helped to murder and destroy a corporation”. He wasn’t looking forward to waking up.

 

“Annie Leonhardt, she’ll come after you and your partner when we’re done here. What will you two do?” Armin finally asked, looking to the noirette. Levi didn’t do anything, just stood still, watching the doors.

 

“Kill her. It’s not hard to get rid of someone.”

 

The elevator jerked and they both grabbed the railings to steady themselves.

 

As much as they hated each other, they looked to each other when the elevator lolled to a stop.

 

“Fuck.” Levi voiced Armin’s inward curse.

 

“Erwin, we’re stuck in an elevator.” Levi spoke to his Bluetooth.

 

“Where were you headed?” Erwin asked after a while.

 

“Third floor, I think we’re stuck just before it.” Levi sighed, stepping to the doors to nudge the seal with the toe of his boot.

 

“Is there a shaft, or upper door?”

 

Armin looked up after tuning in on the conversation and shook his head to Levi. “No, there’s not.”

 

Erwin gave a heavy breath and Levi kicked the doors. They rattled.

 

“Erwin, we’ll contact you in a bit. Check up on Hanji and Yeager.” He tapped his device and Erwin was clicked away. Armin rapped his fingers against his thigh and watched the elevator doors. “Kick the doors, in the center.” He looked at Levi and the man gladly obeyed, annoyance tugging him.

 

The doors rattled and Armin pointed. “You have a knife, right? You can stick it in and we can budge them open. Hopefully we’re either above or below a level and we can climb through.” He suggested, Levi slipping out his knife at its mention. “Alright.”

 

The noirette nudged Armin to the side and stabbed the blade between the doors, pushing against it for leverage to budge the doors open just a crack, which he managed.

 

“Armin, grab the doors.” The man strained and Armin went to slip his fingers in, holding the doors apart long enough for Levi to put away his knife and put in his own share of the effort. The two grabbed one door each and pulled, straining and wincing at the loud squeaking the doors made.

 

It didn’t make sense for either to tell the other “be quiet, they’ll hear us”, because they both knew that they had already known. The lack of guards was unnerving, though.

 

“Alright, go ahead and start climbing through.” Levi nodded to the doors that were opened a slight and Armin swallowed but didn’t say anything. He let go of the door, which Levi nudged to stay open with his knee, and grabbed the top of the floor that was raised to a small gap at the top. It’d be a tight squeeze.

 

The blonde pulled himself up and started wiggling his hips through with him, slapping at the tile floor his chest lay on to get a grip and help pull himself through. Fucking hips. Fucking ass.

 

He pulled himself through and looked to the small gap, to the noirette still inside. “Come on.” He scoot to the small gap to grab the doors and help the man but just as Levi went to release the doors to Armin’s care, something loud snapped and the elevator went falling.

 

“Levi!” Armin went to try and pry open the closed doors and grunted in pain and shock when something poked into the back of his neck. “What the...” He raised his thin fingers to his neck and felt the dart sticking out of his skin, some red oozing to to his fingers. The fuzziness came quick to his head and his eyes felt hot. He went to tap his Bluetooth and contact Erwin but his fingers felt asleep, prickling with needles. And then another sharp pain struck him, in his left shoulder, and he went falling with his breaths echoing in his ears.

 

l.l

 

“I know, Hanji, now listen.” Erwin spoke slowly, trying to calm the brunette. “Stay in the vents and stay _hidden_ , alright? They think that you’re dead, so you’re alright, they won’t look for you. Okay?”

 

Hanji took deep breaths from where they say in the vents with Eren, the teenager watching them intensely like a worried child. “Okay, Erwin, okay, okay.” They started murmuring to them-self and Eren drew his lips tight, turning his gaze to look down the channel of vents.

 

“Erwin, can you tell where we are, at least?” He asked and wiped his gloved hand across the back of his neck. It was hot in the vents, hard to breath. He and Hanji had been breathing quick for a while and it was agitating being stuck in there together. They were basically sharing their breaths and the heat was scattering their thoughts.

 

“From what you’ve said, I think you’re above the basement. The floors on the blueprint get kind of jumbled here. Just keep using the vents until you find another opening, it doesn’t matter how many turns you take, you should still end up on the same floor as long as you don’t climb up.”

 

Eren nodded, processing it to himself. He looked at Hanji.

 

“Ready?”

 

Hanji exhaled through their nose, looking at Eren with their eyes. “...Okay.”

 

They sat there for a moment, neither budging. Eren thought Hanji was best to take charge, but they seemed to be waiting on him, so after that moment of both watching each other awkwardly, Eren moved to his hands and knees from sitting and started to lead the way while crawling, Hanji directly after.

 

“What do you think that was?” Eren asked, glancing down a turn but deciding to keep straight. When Hanji told Erwin about it, he sort of evaded it to help Hanji calm down. Eren wanted to know, though, and trying to figure it out would probably help their thoughts, anyway.

 

Hanji was quiet for a moment but it didn’t take long for their brains to come out.

 

“What hair he had left was clean on the sides, shaved.”

 

“And?”

 

“He could’ve been someone from some military background. The client wouldn’t keep killers-for-hire here, so he could’ve been a guard.”

 

“And what happened to him?”

 

Hanji sighed. “There was some blue ooze on his arm. Blood is blue before it comes into contact with oxygen so it could have been a ruined, pulpy vein but it would have to be red for that, so that means that it’s more likely it could have been some substance, a drug.”

 

“A drug for what?”

 

“A drug for immortality.”

 

“So that means what?”

 

“That means that the client is experimenting on his soldiers.”

 

The two looked at each other and Eren smiled to Hanji, a grin taking their face. “Good job Hanji, you solved it.” The adult brunette nodded and glanced down in self admiration. “Yeah, I did.”

 

It took another long while of crawling for them to get anywhere. Eren had found a downward vent and paused to look through it. It looked empty enough. He pushed it open, grabbing it so it wouldn’t swing, and peeked his head down. Yep, it looked pretty empty. He beckoned for Hanji and grabbed the edges to lower himself down. It was, again, a bit of a distance. He started rocking himself for some momentum before letting go and slapping his body against the floor in an amateur but injury saving roll. He looked up to Hanji and grinned at his success, the other brunette nodding with a big thumbs up. They grabbed the edges of the vent, lowered them-self, and dropped.

 

They headed to Eren to help him up so he wouldn’t pull his knee any more than it already was, and looked around. “I guess this is the basement.” Hanji murmured. Eren followed their gaze. The walls were dark red stoned and the floor was dirt. There were two rooms with metal doors like the one that thing had had, but neither were assaulted and were fully intact.

 

“How is this the basement?” Eren looked to Hanji but the older brunette with pursed lips and eyes trained in thought didn’t help him. They were also confused.

 

“Let’s look at those doors.” They finally stated, drawing their gun and going to one, Eren doing the same and going to the other.

 

They both pulled open the doors and peered inside. Eren glanced over to Hanji, the adult standing casually. That meant that both of their rooms were empty.

 

Eren looked inside his room of a computer and monitors and, wondering what was in Hanij’s room, went into his. The monitors were all fixed on metal doors and they were colorless, one monitor’s picture grainy. One door was missing from a monitor, and the inside of the room was in disarray and ruins.

 

Eren moved on to the computer, the screen dark with purple bubbles bouncing around. He couldn’t help but smirk to himself at the thought of the owner of this computer, gay and geeky, excitedly picking this kind of sleep screen. Grabbing the mouse, Eren wiggled it to bring the computer to life.

 

The screen was black with a green courser blinking in the upper left corner. Eren took a glance behind him to look for Hanji but he couldn’t quite see the brunette to ask for help, so he turned back to the computer and brought a finger to tap the ‘Enter’ button.

 

**ACCESS TO WHOM?**

 

The letters came across the screen quick and Eren bit his lip.

 

_**Grisha Yeager.** _ He typed in response.

 

**ACCESS DENIED.**

 

_**Martha Yeager.** _

 

**ACCESS DENIED.**

 

_**Annie Leonhardt.** _

 

**ACCESS DENIED.**

 

_**Eren Yeager.** _

 

**ACCESS GRANTED.**

 

Eren hurried out of the room to get Hanji.

 

“Hanji, look! I logged into the computers! Dad must have set that up before they got him.” He explained while going to peek into the other room. Hanji stood still in front of a wall of photos, all with red string tying them all together.

 

“What are you looking at?” Eren asked, going to stand beside them. They were photos of all sorts of people, set to trail into a downward triangle. On the first line were a group of seven adults, aged and the photos old. Then the sixth, and the fifth, and the fourth, which made Eren step closer. The names were bolded on a white slip of paper taped to the photos but he didn’t need them. Reiner Braun, Bertholdt Hoover, Annie Leonhardt, and Marco Bodt. Then the third line, of teenagers unknown to Eren, and the second one of Grisha Yeager and someone else, and then the final one: Eren Yeager.

 

“What is this, Hanji?” The teenager looked to the adult, who stood firmly, studying it.

 

“I think it’s their chart of failed subjects.” They stated quietly, unsure, and Eren looked back to the chart. He shook his head. “No, my dad wasn’t one of their things, he was a scientist here.” “But how do you _know_?” Hanji looked to Eren and the teen huffed, giving another shake of his head. “He wasn’t, and I wasn’t. I think it’s a hit-list.” He argued, crossing his arms when Hanji stepped closer to him, the two facing each other. “A hit-list for their failures.” Hanji spoke again and held up a hand when Eren opened his mouth to say more.

 

“No more. What did you find?”

 

“I logged into the computer, under my name.” Eren huffed and turned to take Hanji there. The older brunette went to look at the screen and twisted their lips. “Mm. Let’s see what we can do.” They took the mouse and started clicking things, kicking the chair out of their way to be closer to the screen. Really, though, it was a gesture for Eren to sit and rest himself. He much obliged. “What are you finding?” He asked, scooting the chair to sit next to Hanji and watch the screen with them.

 

“Secret doors~”

 

l.l

 

“Levi, can you hear me?”

 

That annoying voice came once again to Levi’s ears and the noirette ignored it for just another moment, enough to gather himself. His head was spinning and the elevator was hot from the trip down. Metal on metal friction was ‘hotter’ than any kind of friction. Get it? Kill me.

 

“Fuck..” Levi grunted and pulled himself up onto his hands and knees. He tried to stand but the elevator rocked so he put himself back down. Apparently he hadn’t hit the bottom yet, which was good. Wherever the bottom was. He knew he had fallen past at least four floors, so that meant that he was somewhere in the basement and that the basement had more than one level. That’d make it difficult for Eren and Hanji.

 

“Erwin.” Levi groaned into the Bluetooth, shaking his head to clear his vision that seemed to not only be blurry, but one blinded by blood. He’d probably hit his head pretty bad.

 

“Levi, are you alright? I can’t reach Armin, I think he’s been disconnected.”

 

Levi huffed and took a glance around, to the state of the elevator. “No I’m not okay, I’m stuck in an elevator that’s hanging by a thread. What do you mean you can’t reach him?” He crawled forward to the doors but slid back when the elevator weighed with a giant groan.

 

“I can’t reach him, he must be in trouble.”

 

“This thing is a fucking prison, isn’t it?” Levi grumbled to himself of the elevator.

 

“Levi, focus on Arlert. I know you’ll find a way out of that elevator, but I needed to make sure you were alright. Get Arlert and get out, Hanji and Eren can take care of themselves.”

 

“I’m not leaving Hanji.” Levi laughed, looking to the elevator’s roof for a door which wasn’t there, as established earlier.

 

“You have to. Get Arlert and get out- it’s an order. You can wait until the other two get out to blow the chargers but I order you to get out of there with that boy, do you hear me?”

 

Levi didn’t reply but Erwin disconnected with his final answer. The noirette stood as steadily as he could, trying his best to keep the metal level, and after fishing out a stick grenade, he reached up as much as he could and slipped it in with the light-bulb. He slowly lay down as flat as he could and pulled out his gun to shoot the light. The explosion was immediate and, while blowing a beautiful hole in the top of the elevator, also sent it crashing down, fast. Levi jumped back up and hopped for the hole, quickly pulling himself through and looking around for something to grab. The explosion blew away the last wire that had been holding the elevator but it wasn’t too far left behind so Levi jumped to grab it just as the metal went soaring for a heavy crash.

 

_I haven’t jumped that much since I was eighteen._ The noirette’s gaze stayed on the falling elevator and he breathed deeply, closing his eyes. Dammit, dammit. He looked up to the long distance for climbing and spewed a row of curses aloud, climbing nonetheless.

 

Armin awoke in a dark room. There was plenty of light; yellow lamp lights, that shown in various places, but the room had dark walls and a dark floor that swallowed whatever brightness those lights were supposed to have. His whole body felt heavy and when he tried to lift his head it felt completely numb and his neck only rolled it to the side. His breathing was quick and raged, tough to get out. He was struggling to breath, but why? Why,  _why, wyh, ywh?_

 

“Subject Two is awake, Doctor.” Some female voice sounded that Armin couldn’t understand.

 

“Great. Prep him for the injection.” The man’s voice was so casual, too casual. Armin couldn’t process the order of his words or what words were spoken but the casual _tone_ of it made his gut cold. That had to have been the client.

 


	18. Chapter Fifteen: Finale Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything will have come to a close, but was it really even worth it?

 

 

**Chapter Fifteen: Finale Part Two**

  


**Day 10**

**12:00 am**

  


Eren and Hanji had, from Eren’s mysterious account on the computer, gained access to a hidden door at the end of the hall, between the doors. Inside, there was a long hallway of doors not on camera but they didn’t sound to be occupied. At the end of that hall, another hidden door, with stairs. Now, walking down those stairs, Eren covered his nose.

“What’s that smell?” He groaned and looked at Hanji, the brunette’s nose scrunched. “This must be a level with experimentations.” They pointed and Eren followed the gesture to a doorless room. The room from the camera. Probably the room that thing came from.

“Come on, let’s keep going.” Hanji murmured and continued down the hall of doors, some with small sounds. Eren watched the rooms they passed, holding his hand over his nose and listening to the noises; one sounded like crying.

“Hanji...”

Hanji looked back to Eren and the teen knitted his brows together.

“Are we going to blow the charges with everyone in here?”

Hanji turned their gaze back to the hall of doors and replied, “Yes. Think of it like an infection. What do you do if a virus is too hard to control? You quarentine. Us four will be safe and outside before it happens.” Eren fidgeted with his shirt’s hem and sniffed.

Upon reaching the end of the hall, Hanji cocked their gun, holding it in both hands to their side. Eren copied pursuit, glancing around behind them to the many doors. The adult brunette exhaled deeply and rose a hand to scan for the hidden door, narrowing their eyes when it turned out to be harder than they thought. ...Or not there at all.

“Hanji.” Eren whispered, bumping into the adult when he backed up for safety. Hanji looked behind them and gripped their gun tight again, raising it. The doors were all opening.

“What do we do, Hanji?”

The older brunette puffed and moved in front of Eren. “Get behind me and see if you can find the door. And hurry.” They spared a glance upward for a vent but there were none. So they turned their gaze to a door that had some hair peeking out, and then a nose. Why the hell would Grisha ever partake in anything like this? The nose turned scrunched and it sniffed. It lifted into the air and sniffed again, and Hanji didn’t know whether to feel curious or scared, but they had the urge to piss and that was either fear or too much excitement. Damn science and its ugly beautifulness.

The hair extended more until it was a full head sticking out of the room and it slowly turned to face the brunettes, eyes covered by long dark hair but that did nothing to make it scary or not. Its open, bloody mouth with broken teeth and half a tongue chattered, lips puckering slightly, like it was trying to say something. Air hissed from its mouth and Hanji swallowed when the corners of its mouth perked into a small little grin. And then more heads started poking out of their open doors, all turning to the direction of the brunettes.

“Eren, you have got to hurry up.”

Eren shook his head and slammed his side into the wall. “I can’t find it!” He slammed into it again and looked back when Hanji gasped. The first one to poke its head out had lunged forward and scared Hanji, making the brunette take a shot for its head with his gun. The sound of the shot made the other ones clamber from their rooms and rush for the two, some tripping on others.

“Hanji, shoot them!” Eren turned fully to the scene and grabbed Hanji’s shoulder, shaking it for their attention. He looked to where the brunette’s eyes were and gulped. The one Hanji shot had smoke trailing from the middle of its forehead, through its hair. It was still for a moment before it lunged for them again.

l.l

It took forever for Levi to reach where he and Armin had seperated, and once he got there, he already had trouble. The doors were still closed, but he managed to somehow force them open and after, while walking down the little corridor by the elevator, he barely missed being smacked by a flying body, diving just in time to press his body against the corner and hide from whatever had happened. There was a disgusting slam that he knew had to be the body, their head probably popping like a pumkin against some wall. How did it happen, though?

The noirette pulled his gun and knife to his sides, one in each hand to help calm him while he took some small, deep breaths. He carefully, slowly, peeked his gaze over the corner to where the body had come from. It was someone’s back; they had a torn hospital dress hanging from a boney shoulder.

_Don’t tell me they killed the kid._

He was surprised when he saw that Armin was gone upon his arrival, but he didn’t hang on it too much. Now, though, with the thought of someone throwing people into walls, he was concerned. The person kept their back to Levi, their head hung low. He raised his weapons to his chest for protection, staying in his spot while figuring out just what to do. There was a sound of running footsteps and just beyond the person, three men in security coats and two in lab-wear emerged from the corner of a corrider, stopping before the still person.

“254, stand down. We’re going to take you back to your cell.” One of the doctors spoke, hands raised slightly to show that he was defenseless, harmless. The aparrent 254 just stood there, head still hanging low, pale blonde hair hanging over their face. One of the security gaurds looked at the speaking doctor when 254 didn’t move, and the doctor just sighed. He motioned to the blonde.

“Go and retrieve her.” He said, and the three gaurds cautiously stepped to the girl. Levi had honestly been confused on what gender 254 must have been, but apparently it was a she. Something about her had Levi nervous, though, so he glanced away from the scene to scan the hall for an escape while they were all distracted. The real only way was through them, though.

Two of the gaurds stepped to the girl’s sides, the third stepping behind her to cuff her hands. His thick body blocked most of Levi’s view of what was happening, but the voices were unmistakable.

“Looks like you belong here after all, Leonhart.” One of the gaurds said, and it made Levi narrow his eyes. Leonhart?

There was a giant noise that rumbled the building, making the hanging lights swing. It wasn’t one of Levi’s bombs, because the charges would send the building into dust. The first doctor, the more leading one, stepped off to a wall and pushed a speaker button, saying something into it that Levi couldn’t quite catch. It didn’t matter, though. 254 slammed a thin elbow into a gaurd’s face and he crumpled to the ground. Then they spun and punched the one who stood behind them, and they grabbed the third’s hair, forcing them off of their balance and smashing their face into the floor. None of the gaurds moved after, and they charged for the doctor at the speaker.

Levi couldn’t stand around any longer; if it was Leonhart, she wasn’t even his problem anymore. He pushed off of the wall and took off running down the hallway, slamming his way passed the second doctor who stood watching everything in shock. There were rows of doors in the hallway, but Levi couldn’t check them all, because he could hear a loud squish around the corrider behind him. He tapped into his ear piece, calling Armin’s name, but there was no response. There was really nothing at all: the service had been tampered, and he couldn’t hear anything from anyone’s line.

He could hear bare feet pittering after him, and he pulled out one of his grenades, tugging the pin from it’s head and tossing it behind him, and then there was the sound of feet sliding on the ground just before the grenade went off.

Down a corridor, Levi had to slide himself to a stop when he mt a row of gaurds, running in his direction, probably from the distress call of the doctor. He shot his gun at the gaurds, shooting in their limbs and heads because it was best assumed that they were wearing bullet-proof vests. The ones who weren’t fatally hit, Levi ran to and carved their throats with his knife until he had one man left, shot in both his left knee and a forearm. Levi snagged him up by his shirt collar.

“Where is Arlert!”

“W-who?”

“The fucking coconut head! Blonde!” Levi thrust his blade to the man’s throat, resting the tip against his adam’s apple that bobbed with a rough, nervouse swallow.

“I-I don’t know! There are so many rooms, man!” In other words, ‘I just started yesterday’. There was the sudden sound of bare feet again, but they were slow, and Levi looked passed the gaurd to the noise. It was someone else in a gown, average height, average weight for a male, but there was blood coating their hands and mouth. The gaurd tried to look back too, at the sound of the person walking slowly to them, but Levi still held him firmly.

“If you don’t find out where he is, I’m going to leave you here to die by that thing.” Levi said steadily, and the gaurd nodded quickly and tapped into his own speaker.

“U-um, where is that Alert kid?”

“Arlert.”

“A-Arlert. ...He escaped room 513, three hallways down to the left.” The gaurd said to Levi, and the noirette dropped him. It’d be harder to find Armin now, but at least he had a room number to go by. He didn’t leave the gaurd, because he had basically promised, so he pointed his gun to the slow walker.

They stopped walking and looked at Levi with empty, dark eyes. What the hell had they been doing to these people? The boy smiled, and it looked so innocent that it was mortally suspicious.

“You gotta kill those things!” The gaurd cried, maybe just a few years older than Eren and Armin. Levi didn’t want to kill the boy, though, so he just watched the bloody teen, calculating.

“Why?” He finally asked the gaurd, the bloody teen boy grinning just a little bit bigger.

“They’re fucking monsters! They’re all out! Shoot it’s fucking nape!”

The boy lunged forward and it was enough to make Levi shoot, the bullet slamming into his forehead, but it didn’t stop him in the least. He kept running at the two, and the gaurd scoot back, terrified.

“The nape! The nape!”

Levi slamed forward, into the boy to stop him, and the boy clamped his teeth shut hard over Levi’s shoulder. The man grunted in pain and brought his knife around the boy’s back to the back of his neck. He raked it across the nape quick, sharp and deep, and the boy gasped loudly, mouth lifting off of Levi’s shoulder, opening wide for his gasp. Levi didn’t want to, but he slammed his knife deep into the boy’s nape until it lodged into his spine, and he twisted it, cracking the discs and severing the nerves until the boy was limp.

Levi pulled his knife from him, dropping the boy and flicking it clean of the blood.

“...Why the nape?”

“It must sever something, I don’t fucking know.” The gaurd tried clambering up to his feet, crying out at the pain from his knee. Levi knelt near him to pull him fully to his feet, eliciting a loud cry.

“Shut up, kids younger than you have been through worse.” Eren, having his knee broken. “You’re going to help me find that kid, or you’re going to die. By those things.” The light haired brunette nodded, bringing his strength to his leg so that he wouldn’t come off as too weak to keep alive. It didn’t matter though. Levi was still going to blow the place with the kid and everyone else in it.

“I-I’m Ronnie.” The gaurd sputtered, limping heavily on his knee behind Levi. The noirette ignored him, though. “Uh... the point is for you to say your name, too.”

“I don’t have one.”

“...Everyone has one.”

“Sweet-talking me isn’t going to keep you any more alive, kid. Shut the hell up before I dump you.”

It was silent from then on, until twelve twenty a.m.. The two turned a corner, near room 513, and there was the immediate pain of something sharp in Levi’s already wounded shoulder, and he lowered his gaze to a syringe. He freaked out. He slammed his hand upward, breaking the syringe from the needle before the plunger could push anything into him, making the needle stuck inside of him. He threw a hard punch forward, knocking the bastard in the head, and it was only when they fell to the ground that he realized it was Armin, eyes circled by dark grey and skin pale and clammy.

“Motherfucker.” Levi dropped down to pick the blonde up, hissing at the pain in his arm from his shoulder. He looked at Ronnie, the gaurd watching in pure confusion as to what had just happened. “You.” Levi spoke to him and the brunette looked to his eyes. “If you try anything at all, I’m going to torture you like none other. Get us the fuck out of here.”

l.l

The wall finally opened up, but it took long enough for Hanji to get heavily wounded. The things were on them, and Eren was trying to pull them free and into the new room. Hanji’s shrieking screams were terrifying and damaging to Eren’s heart, but he couldn’t pull them from the assault because two of the things were chomping at their legs, pinning them under them and their sickly bodies.

“ _Eren! EREN!”_ Hanji screamed, grasping at Eren’s arms that tried to get a firm grip on them to pull them out.

“I’m trying!” Eren was surrounded by the most utter guilt of not being able to help the other brunette. Hanji was mortified at the thought of death. Eren finally managed to tear Hanji from the things, one of their jaws raking down their leg and carving the skin into a sickly wound that caused Hanji to scream in pain.

Eren dragged Hanji away, into the newly opened room before pushing the wall back shut, slamming his body against it to keep it from opening again. Hanji was writhing on the ground, curling into a fetal position and crying. They had scratched, bit, and clawed them, and two had tore flesh from their sides and arms.

“I’m so sorry, Hanji!” Eren breathed, running his hands through his hair, damp with sweat. Hanji didn’t say anything to him, so he just looked around the room to see where they were; if they were in a dead end or danger.

It was a room of surveilance cameras and operation tables. There were shelves with varius things in jars, and full syringes of different colors. The room gave him an ill chill, made him feel feverish. There was something wrong with the room’s atmosphere. It felt absolutely _deadly_.

“ _I see you’ve made it, mister Jeager. Like your father’s work?”_ A voice over an intercom, male, playful. Eren grit his teeth.

“Where the hell are you, you bastard!” He looked around the room but couldn’t see any cameras or speakers aimed at them. The voice laughed.

“ _Is that a ‘no’? I see you are working with your captors, now_ that _is quite a sight. Psychologically.”_

“Shut the hell up! Where are you?!”

“ _I’m already gone. You will be, too. That was my room, secure for obvious safety reasons; so no one can leave. And now I’ve locked it. I hope you two have fun in there. Oh, I also have a gift. Tell Grisha I said hello.”_ Then there was a _click_ , and Eren blinked and looked at Hanji, who had stopped crying and was equally as shocked.

“...What? What did he say?” Hanji started sitting up, and Eren shook his head with an incredulous scoff. He turned to the wall to try and open the door, but it was still locked, basically nonexistant. And then there was a giant rumble that shook the room, and the two froze. Eren looked back to Hanji, the older brunette already looking at him, eyes wide. Another giant rumble.

Then one of the walls broke down, and a monster came inside. It was big, scary, bloody from giant scrapes and self inflicted wounds. If it was Grisha Yeager, it didn’t resemble him at all. It was still enough to make both Hanji and Eren scream. Hanji scrambled back, and Eren pulled them up to their feet, the older brunette clambering back and falling against Eren in fear. The thing stepped to them, the ground vibrating with its steps. It smelled like rotten flesh and old blood, enough to make bile rise in their throats, but they were too frightened to do anything.

Eren looked passed the monster to the hole in the wall, and it occured to him that he and Hanji could try and escape through it. If they could get passed the thing. Eren pulled Hanji close to him and ran for the monster, the older brunette screaming in fear because they didn’t know why the crazy teenager was bringing them closer to it, and Eren dived around the giant thing. Eren thrust Hanji foward towards the hole so that they could go first.

“Go, Hanji-”

Eren lost all of his breath. The thing swung a hand through the air, catching Eren in the gut, winding him beyond belief- sending him flying through the air and smacking hard into one of the cement walls. His vision was lost, completely blurred.

“Eren!” Hanji turned to run for the teen, but they were stopped by their wounds and the thing that was turning towards them. They were frozen in terror. Eren fell from the wall to his hands and knees, head spinning worse than anything before. He could see three Hanji’s running throughout the room, three things stalking after them.

“ _Eren!”_ They screamed his name.

“ _Eren, get up!”_

“ _Get up!”_

“Get up, Eren.” A strange voice spoke, and Eren looked up, confused. There was a pale hand before him, freckled, palm outstretched. Eren raised his eyes up to the person’s face, and it was Marco. Behind him was Martha.

“Mom?”

Martha smiled, but that was it; just a small, soft, kind smile.

“You need to get up, Eren.” Marco spoke, and Eren looked back to his glowing face. He looked alive.

“Get up.”

Eren took the hand, reveling in its live warmth. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, his mom and Marco were gone. In his hand was a syringe with a yellow substance in it. He brought the needle to his arm and slipped it inside, and pushed the plunge.

Warmth fuilled his arm slowly, spreading up from his forearm to his elbow to his shoulder, and then dispersing further. His body was numb at first, but then his heart started pounding hard against his chest, like he took too much medicine. And then he felt adrenalized. He looked around, trying to find Hanji. The brunette was hanging limply from the thing’s hand, their head in its palm. Eren stood from the ground, and when he did, his knee didn’t hurt in any way. He ran at the thing, charged into it’s side, and it dropped Hanji to grasp for Eren. It felt sureal. Everything felt like he was asleep, like it was just some dream. He slipped away from its reach and picked up Hanji, and he took off running from the room, slipping through the hole and running through whatever path it would lead to. He ran through coridors, hallways, hidden doors, and then after a bit, he was engulfed by the night sky and chilly air.

Levi sat a great distance away with Armin, and when he saw Eren emerge with Hanji, he blew the charges.

l.l

"A new job?"

The noirette  bounced his leg, sitting forward in his worn chair, phone to his ear while he let his cigarette rest in the ashtray, light smoke trailing into t he dull room with empty walls .  There were no decorations.

He stared at the  floor, eyes soft while he listened to the new information.  He let his free right hand fall to the desk,  bare fingers lifting a pen to write the address on  a randome slip of paper he had available on his desk .

"...Mm h m.  One day ? Right..."

He  slid his eyes up from the floor to the room’s faded wooden door; something to look at while he took in Erwin’s words through the phone.

"A kid? Yeah, it's fine. Okay, got it. ...You, too."

He kept the phone to his ear, listening to the dial tone after Erwin hung up. The room was chilly. There was no fireplace. He gave a small exhale through his nose before snatching up his cigarette and standing, closing the phone and putting it on the desk’s top.

He took a drag from the cigarette, leaving the room and stepping down the small hallway to find the bedrooms. He opened the closer bedroom door and stepped inside, walking to the bed. He pulled the curtains around it open and Armin gasped, Eren’s hand in the blonde’s shirt, fingers ghosting over his smooth hips. Levi wasn’t amused, and neither was Eren. The brunette rolled off of Armin with a huff and leaned back on his elbows, shirtless.

“What do you want?” He asked Levi, the man puffing from his cigarette. He flicked his cigarette’s ash over Eren’s exposed stomach and the brunette rolled his eyes and dusted at the ash.

“A new job.” Levi spoke, smoke trailing from his mouth and nose with his words. Armin blinked and sat up in bed, and Eren rolled his eyes again because he knew that their gaurdian had just made sex with Armin later, because now Armin would want to prep for the job.

“One day to find him. A kid. Pack your suitcases.” Levi said and turned, slipping his cigarette back into his lips, between his teeth.

Eren rolled back onto Armin and started pressing kisses to the blonde’s neck, but he was already taken by the job, and he swatted Eren’s head. “No, we have to pack!”

“Ugh! Can you at least fucking blow me?” Eren groaned, crawling onto Armin to keep him on the bed. Levi left the room and shut the door to drown out the teens. He had caught them in bed _once_ and it was enough for him. He shouldn’t have to knock on their door- they’re basically his own kids at this point.

He walked down the hallway to the next bedroom and just outside the door, Sally lay, whining.

“Come on, boy.” He reached down to pat the mutt’s head, and the dog stood, bumping his nose against the bedroom door to show that it was his destination, too. He just didn’t have oposable thumbs. Levi felt he should knock on the door, because it felt right, but no one would answer, so he pushed the door open and stepped inside, Sally bounding in before him.

Levi walked to the bed and sat on its edge, beside Hanji. He reached over the bed to the brunette’s face, ghosting his fingers over Hanji’s pale cheek. Sally hopped up onto the bed, and Levi had to nudge him to the side so he didn’t get on Hanji.

“...Goodmorning, Hanji. It’s time to wake up.” Levi spoke to Hanji, caressing their cheek. They didn’t wake up, though, and he knew they wouldn’t, but it was just something he did every morning. Levi glanced away from the brunette, to the bedside table, where their beta fish floated in the fish bowl.

“...Damn.”

It had finally died.

Nothing had been worth this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has read for this long, and Two Stones and One Bird is now over, complete, finished, GRADUATED.
> 
> Graduated? Why, yes, graduated. Because there will be a sequel coming called Stones of a Feather. Thank you all, friends, fans, who made me want to, no, need to finish this story.

**Author's Note:**

> Any questions are allowed and will be answered honestly and completely.


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